


Powers of Invisibility

by yestomiraculous



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Background DJWifi, Coming Out, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Identity Reveal, Juleka Finds Out, Juleka judges everyone, Julerose - Freeform, Slow Burn, So many reveals, Turtle!Juleka, also mildly angsty sometimes, alternate POV, background Adrienette - Freeform, background Plikki, episode rewrites, lots of fluff, okay this is a little angstier than I anticipated, the slowest of burns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-05
Updated: 2017-02-19
Packaged: 2018-07-12 08:41:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 246,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7094683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yestomiraculous/pseuds/yestomiraculous
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Juleka has always been invisible. She doesn't always mind. Especially when it allows her to see things no one else does...<br/>It starts slow at first. Little hints here and there. Innocent teenagers not being in the right place at the right time.<br/>The next thing Juleka knows, she's at the center of the biggest mess of secrets Paris has likely ever seen.</p><p>Featuring Sighing, Julerose, and An Overabundance of Meaningful Conversations.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Same Old, Same Old...

It looked like boredom.

That’s what Juleka decided as she stared up at Collége Françoise Dupont. Sure, it was a nice building. It had large windows and a banner and that large staircase that screamed _important_. But all in all, the aesthetic of this building was boredom. Juleka knew that what happened this year would be the same as what happened last year. And the year before that. And the year before that.

Juleka sighed, shifting her bag on her shoulder, letting the rub of lace against her shoulder release some of her irritation. It was the first day of school. The weather was still warm. She could not already be done with school when it hadn’t even started yet.

And yet, here she was, contemplating the aesthetics of a building in an attempt to stall. Juleka pulled out her phone, checking to make sure that she really didn’t have time to hang around. Then, she started up the importance stairs, resigning herself to another year of collége.

Juleka almost immediately knew upon entering the building that she had made a mistake in judgement. The year wasn’t just going to be boring. It was also going to be miserable. Even from the bottom of the stairs to the second level of the school, she could hear Chloe’s grating voice. Juleka had been unlucky enough to attend the same school as Chloe Bourgeois since preschool. Every year, the same tantrums, the same insults, the same five hundred calls to her father, although back then he hadn’t been Mayor of Paris. _That_ kind of power, too often used to indulge a spoiled brat, was more recent. However, the Bourgeoises had always been adept at getting what they wanted.

Well…mostly.

Juleka had known Chloe for a long, long time, so she was unsurprised to walk into her classroom to find the girl bending over Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Marinette, kind, helpful, klutzy, and the most accidentally charming individual Juleka had ever met, had also gone to the same school as Juleka since they were three. And in all that time, the only time she and Chloe had not been at each other’s throats was the one year of school that they hadn’t known the other existed.

“That’s _my_ seat,” Chloe said, her very presence making Juleka’s shoulders tense. Juleka slipped into the classroom, doing her best to ignore the confrontation occurring between the old enemies. Or, more accurately, between Chloe and her old punching bag. Marinette had never done enough punching back to qualify Chloe for nemesis-hood. Chloe’s angry whine and Marinette’s soft replies pushed at Juleka’s ears as she walked along the outskirts of the classroom, head down, heading instinctually for the back of the classroom. Juleka knew what awaited her at the back of the classroom without even having to peer past her bangs. The back of the class meant safety, obscurity, and...

Rose.

Finally looking up, Juleka met the blue-eyed gaze of her best friend. She wondered if it was obvious that her heart sped up at the sight of her. She thought it might be, since her breath also caught and her cheeks also warmed and her eyes also widened. A bright smile, a little wave, a tilt of that blonde head, and Juleka’s heart started a marathon.

Imminent heart attack aside, Juleka was very glad that Rose was still the same.

Juleka hadn’t known Rose for as long as she’d known Chloe or Marinette or several others that were straggling into the classroom (Nino, who'd been wearing that hat since long before it fit him; Alix, whose father once worked with Juleka's parents), but they had still known each other for several years. Juleka slipped into the pattern of their friendship the same way she slipped into her empty seat, comfort slowing the fluttering heart that inevitably accompanied her crush.

“Juleka!” Rose squealed, her high voice a welcome balm against Chloe’s whine. She held out her arms and Juleka leaned into her embrace. Juleka had never been so happy to smell Rose’s perfume.

“Hey, Rose,” Juleka said simply, allowing a small smile to leak onto her face.

“I’m so glad we’re in the same class again this year,” Rose gushed as she leaned back, her hand lingering on Juleka’s arm. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“You’d be fine, Rose,” Juleka said, though she smiled again. The harsh laughs of Chloe and Sabrina reached Juleka’s ears, like the buzzing of a particularly large fly.

“No, I wouldn’t,” Rose said, her customary smile changing to a pout, bringing Juleka’s attention back to her. “Who else would listen to me rant about the cuteness of bunnies versus puppies for an hour?” Juleka smiled at her friend, remembering the conversation in question. She had never imagined that such a question was so important before. She still doubted the importance, but she no longer had _any_ trouble imagining.

“Nathanaël would listen,” Juleka said, glancing over at the red-haired boy who, like most of the other students, was watching Marinette and Chloe. Unlike the other students, he had his own reasons for staring.

“Nathanaël is more your friend than my friend,” Rose said, her smile faltering a bit. Juleka raised an eyebrow.

“You’re friends with everyone,” she said. Rose blushed, light pink seeping into her cheeks. It was one of Juleka’s favorite sights.

“Well, yes,” Rose admitted, her blush deepening. “But Nathanaël only hangs out with me as much as he does because he hangs out with you.”

“Maybe,” Juleka allowed. “But that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t listen to you rant about bunnies and puppies.” Rose giggled, her hand rising to touch her cheek. Juleka watched, a little sad, as the pink faded from Rose’s face. Her large blue eyes darted away, coming to rest on the discussion that was stealing everyone else’s attention.

“There’s one person I’m _not_ friends with,” Rose said, her voice slightly sad. Juleka sighed, finally allowing her gaze to float away from Rose and surrendering her attention to the constant wild fire that was Chloe. She focused on them just in time to see Marinette vacate her seat, dragged along by someone new, a girl Juleka had never seen. It didn’t surprise Juleka that Marinette had ultimately moved. Like everyone else, Marinette had long ago learned that when it came to Chloe, it was much, much easier to just do what she wanted. Juleka watched as Marinette and the new girl spoke, noting the enthusiasm with which the new girl gestured, the brightness in her eyes.

Juleka wondered how long it’d take for them to become friends.

The sound of Ms. Bustier introducing herself to the class interrupted Juleka’s thoughts and she turned her focus to their teacher. She sighed.

Another year.

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Juleka heard raised voices behind her as she walked towards the library for her study hall period (one of the few periods she didn’t have with Rose), but ignored them, refusing to share in any more drama on the very first day of school. She couldn’t imagine anything more tedious than fight after fight for the rest of the year, but as long as Chloe was in the class, it was pretty much guaranteed.

Juleka pushed open the door to the library, inhaling the faint scent of books that greeted her as she stepped inside. There were a few other students that also had study hall at this time, Marinette and the new girl (Ms. Bustier had called her Alya) among them. Most of them milled around in the center of the library, chatting quietly. Juleka had no interest in awkwardly hovering on the fringe of the group, hoping and yet dreading that someone would try to talk to her. So, same as last year, Juleka made a beeline for her chair.

The François-Dupont library was a relatively open space with lots of natural lighting. Juleka's chair, placed out of the way in a corner of the library, between some of the bookshelves, was comfy and secluded and she had all but written her name on it. She settled into the seat, exhaling some of her tension as she sank into the cushions, reaching into her bag for her phone and some headphones. With her defenses complete, this would be her haven for the next thirty minutes...

Juleka’s calm dissolved when her hand met nothing but fabric. She had somehow neglected to bring headphones. She let out her thirtieth sigh of the day. Juleka liked to consider herself pretty good at ignoring things...but she was wrong. Already the buzz of conversation coming from the other side of the bookshelves was getting into her ears and under her skin.

“I hear there was supposed to be another new kid in our class,” Marinette said, her voice rising above the others as she and her new friend (Juleka'd known it was only a matter of time) chose a table near her corner. Juleka groaned, pushing herself up out of her chair. As much as she didn’t want to move, she also didn’t fancy listening to every word of their conversation. So much for thirty minutes of haven time.

Luckily, the computer lab loaned out pairs of headphones. All was not lost. Juleka left her bag in her chair (this seat has been claimed, steal at your own peril) and slipped out of the library, on a quest for headphones.

Just in time to see Ivan morph into a giant rock monster and break down the door of Mr. Damocles’ office.

 

 

Well.

 

 

That didn’t happen last year.

 

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Like most of the population of Paris, Juleka had spent most of the previous evening re-watching the flood of videos of Stoneheart and Paris’s brand new superheroes. It was safe to say that the city was losing it. Most people were terrified. After all, a giant monster had roamed the streets, intent on hunting down and harming a mere kid and now hundreds of citizens were missing or frozen in stone. Rose, who had been unfortunate enough to be there when Stoneheart had finally located Kim, had called in a panic attack that had lasted almost an hour. Rose’s parents had seriously considered keeping her home from school. Citizens all over the city were in a similar panic, desperate for answers, for protection.

Juleka, on the other hand, was thrilled.

How could the school year be boring with heroes and villains popping up? Revenge, redemption, sacrifice, these were all things Juleka had only read about, curled up in her chair in the corner of the library. But now, it was so real. So close. So different. It had Juleka humming to herself as she left her apartment that morning. When she arrived in front of the school, she looked up at the building. She decided that it didn’t look so much like boredom anymore.

“Juleka!”

Juleka turned, unsurprised to see Rose hurrying across the street, one hand clutching at her bag nervously while the other lifted in a wave.

“Good morning,” Rose said as she drew closer, her voice a little too high even for her.

“Morning, Rose,” Juleka said, a smile darting across her face as she looked down at her friend. Rose stood there, shifting from foot to foot, her eyes downcast. “You okay?” Rose’s eyes darted up to Juleka’s face, then back down.

“I’m scared,” Rose said, her voice barely above a whisper. Juleka felt her excitement dampen a little at the confession. She put a hand on Rose's shoulder.

“It’ll be okay, Rose,” Juleka said. Rose looked up, her normally giant eyes even bigger as she looked to Juleka for reassurance. “Ladybug and Chat Noir won’t let anyone get hurt.” Rose nodded a little, her eyes flicking downwards once again. Juleka sighed, her eyes moving away from Rose’s nervous face and over her head, catching on another figure hovering in front of the school.

Ivan stood several feet away from them, staring up at the school. His hands were clenched at his sides, his eyebrows drawn together over wide eyes. It looked a little like anger, but Juleka could see his chest rising and falling rapidly as he gasped.

Juleka focused on the faces of kids around them. Other students were filing into the building, moving around Juleka and Rose without a second glance. But none of them came within ten feet of Ivan. The normal buzz of children going to school had a strange edge to it. Nervous laughter, frightened whispers. Some kids were excited, others tearful, others angry. Most of them were afraid. They glanced at Ivan with wide eyes and kept their distance. He stood in the middle of a sea of anxiety, alone in his own panic.

“There’s no reason to be afraid,” Juleka said, hearing the resolve enter her own voice and starting a little at the change. She looked back down at Rose, who also looked a little startled. Juleka allowed another small smile to enter her face as she reached down and took the Rose’s hand. “I’ll show you.” With that, Juleka marched past Rose.

Straight towards Ivan.

Juleka felt the moment Rose realized her intention, her arm going taught as she tried in vain to stop their forward march. Normally Juleka would have listened to this obvious sign of distress, but Ivan looked so scared. So alone. He was their friend and Alya’s video, the amazing footage she'd caught of Ivan transforming back into himself, lost and confused, proved that he hadn't rampaged through Paris on purpose. Juleka was not about to give up on this.

Juleka also just really wanted to gush to someone about how cool yesterday had been, but she focused on helping out a friend first.

“Hey, Ivan,” Juleka said as she towed Rose up to his side. Ivan jumped at the sound of her voice and Rose squealed quietly. He looked down at them with wide eyes.

“H-hey, Juleka,” Ivan said, his voice coming out a little strangled. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked down. Silence stretched between them for a long moment. Juleka really wished that Rose would regain her legendary powers of speech, but she was currently trying to hide behind Juleka so that didn't seem viable at the moment. It went against every instinct she had, but she tried to create conversation.

“How are you?” Juleka asked.

“I’m…okay,” Ivan said, giving Juleka a weird look before looking down again. From the feel of Rose’s bangs against her shoulder, Juleka knew that Rose was also looking down. She let out a huff of annoyance. What was so interesting about the ground today?

“Did you do the homework last night?” Juleka asked. Ivan’s head came up again and this time his gaze stayed on Juleka.

“Uh, no,” Ivan said, his shoulders hunching up by his ears. “I was kind of…kind of busy last night.”

 _Crap_. Was there anything she could talk to him about that wouldn’t end in him awkwardly avoiding what had happened yesterday? Juleka groaned internally. She had already surpassed her conversational skills, but Ivan was still standing there, curled in on himself like he was waiting for them to attack him and Juleka didn't-

“You could look at mine,” came a small voice from Juleka’s shoulder. Juleka looked down in surprise. Rose had finally looked up. Rose had spoken. Rose was trembling, sure, and she had a death grip on Juleka’s arm, but she was talking to Ivan, offering to help him with his homework. Juleka smiled down at her. Ivan also looked at Rose, who squeaked and immediately looked back down at the ground. “I-if you want to, th-that is,” Rose mumbled. Ivan still looked massively uncomfortable and slightly scared, but his face softened at Rose’s offer.

“That- that'd great. Thanks, Rose,” Ivan said, his head retreating even farther into his shoulders. Silence fell again. Juleka looked at Rose, but she had apparently contributed all she was willing to. Since Juleka still didn't know what else to say, she turned towards the school, looking over her shoulder, and over Rose, at Ivan.

“You coming?” Juleka asked. She watched Ivan glance up at the school, the terror taking over his face again. She waited, keeping her gaze turned towards him, but letting him find the courage to face the school in his own time. They still had plenty of time before class started. So Juleka just watched as resolve slowly replaced terror and shoulders receded slightly. He didn’t look _calm_ , but he was no longer outwardly panicked. He glanced down at Juleka, giving her a sharp nod. She turned and headed into the school, Rose’s hands holding her arm a little more softly now.

Juleka was pretty sure that the entire school went silent for a moment when they entered. She could feel Ivan stiffen even more as they paused just inside the entrance. Juleka didn’t need to look up to know that pretty much every person in the courtyard had stilled. Discomfort rolled off of Ivan in waves. She glanced over at him. Sure enough, he was stock still, his shoulders at his ears again and his fists balled at his side. He was going to be in serious need of a massage before this was all over.

The moment seemed to last forever. They just kept staring. Juleka could feel the gazes of way too many pairs of eyes focused on them. Mostly focused on Ivan, but also turning hot spotlights on Juleka and Rose. She couldn’t stand it.

“The physics homework was murder,” Juleka said.

“Wh-what?” Ivan stammered, his eyes torn from most of the student body staring at him to the quiet girl beside him. Juleka looked back at him from beneath her bangs.

“The physics homework,” she said simply. “It was really hard.”

“Y-yeah,” Rose said, her hold on Juleka growing ever lighter. “Ms. Mendeleiev was crazy assigning that on the first day of school.” Ivan continued to look at them as if they had grown two heads. His shoulders relaxed just a little.

“Do you think she’s gonna be this terrible all year?” Juleka asked Ivan, looking into his eyes, willing him to find normalcy again. She saw a bit of his panic recede as he turned his mind to normal things. Homework. Classes. Teachers. The rest of the year, not this one moment in time when everything was terrible and everyone was looking at him and the rest of the year seemed impossibly far away. Not now, but later when impossibly far away had already passed and it was normal again.

“Sh-she probably will be,” Ivan said. His hands were no longer clenched quite so tightly. Rose’s hands had fallen from Juleka’s arm. Juleka tried to focus on the victory in that rather than being sad at the loss.

At some point in their strangely normal conversation, the school had fallen into motion and sound again, students chatting, walking to their classes, sitting around. The edge was still there. The nervousness, the fear, the whispering, the glances. Most students still gave them a wide berth as Juleka, Rose and Ivan drifted towards a bench against the wall. It wasn’t normal, not yet, but Juleka could feel the beginnings of normal start to assert themselves.

As soon as Ivan sat down of the bench, a few of the others in their class drifted over. Seeing Juleka and Rose talk to him in what passed for a normal fashion, they weren’t so tentative. Nino came; and Alix and Max and Kim. Juleka briefly worried about Kim. He could be okay, but, as he had shown yesterday, he had a mean streak. But Kim kept his cool. In fact, they were all relatively normal, talking about homework, complaining about Ms. Mendeleiev. However, as normal as they all strived to act, they were all thinking about the same thing.

“So Ivan, dude,” Alix said. Juleka was not the only one to feel the shift in the conversation. Everyone turned to look at Alix, waiting to see if she was going to be the one to actually bring up the forbidden topic. Trust her to drop kick the elephant in the room. “What was up with yesterday?” Ivan immediately hunched into himself. Juleka looked away, trying to ease the pressure of so many eyes and her gaze fell on Mylene. She was hovering on the edge of the group, fear written all over her face. However, there was something else too. She looked at Ivan with a sympathy and a tenderness that Juleka had never seen from her before.

“I-I don’t know,” Ivan said, resting his arms on his legs, effectively curling in on himself. Part of Juleka thought it would be better to stay away from this conversation, but Ivan couldn’t avoid it forever and Juleka was bursting. Everyone was so scared, but it had been so awesome! The power, the magic. She wanted Ivan to know that not everyone was terrified.

“So you really don’t remember anything?” Alix asked, an eagerness and also a disappointment that Juleka could identify with tinging her voice. Juleka felt her enthusiasm bubble up within her, tugging a small, rare smile onto her face.

“You were totally going ballistic,” Juleka said. She wanted to encourage Ivan, but she knew immediately that she’d said the wrong thing as Ivan flinched. She scrambled to convey her meaning. “It was soo cool,” she said, hoping he’d see that she really was impressed. He didn’t look up.

“You were seriously out to crush me, dude,” Kim said, his voice flat, accusatory. Juleka narrowed her eyes at him. Like he had any room to talk; he’d instigated it. Juleka was mustering her courage to snap back at Kim when her eyes slid past Kim to Mylene, who was looking everywhere but Ivan. Juleka looked back down at Ivan, who also had his eyes fixed on Mylene.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t myself,” Ivan said, his voice dripping with misery.

Juleka wondered how this conversation could get worse.

“Once a monster, always a monster,” came the harsh whine. Juleka sighed as she turned around to see Chloe leaning against a nearby pole with Sabrina. Of course Chloe made it worse. Juleka was beginning to believe that Chloe _lived_ to make things worse.

Juleka’s eyes snapped back to Ivan when he suddenly lurched up out of his seat. She saw a brief flash of pain in his face that was immediately masked by anger before he surged forward, stomping off. Students jumped out of his way as Ivan retreated from his classmates. Juleka felt her chest ache as sadness welled up inside of her. She'd just wanted him to know that she’d thought it was cool…

“Don’t let the door hit you on the way out,” Chloe called after Ivan. Juleka looked over at her in disbelief. She already had him running away from his friends and now she continued to taunt him? Kick him when he was down? Juleka'd never thought that Chloe could sink any lower…

But this school year was just going to continue to surprise her, wasn’t it?

Juleka watched Alya spar with Chloe, feeling her own indignation echoed in the newer girl’s words. She watched as Alya learned just how harsh Chloe could be. She watched as she too was sent stomping away. Marinette was already gone, probably having followed Ivan. That seemed the Marinette thing to do. The others were drifting away. Rose came to stand by Juleka, placing her hand on Juleka’s arm and looking up at her with sad eyes.

Juleka wanted to be happy. Villains, heroes, magic!...Instead she was weighed down by the sadness of a boy that was being hurt for something that wasn’t his fault. She opened her mouth to say something to Rose when she was interrupted by a completely unique occurrence.

“Hey, Chloe,” a male voice called. In a friendly manner. Somebody other than Sabrina was calling to Chloe with something other than anger in their voice. Juleka’s mouth snapped shut in surprise and she turned to see who could possibly feel friendly towards a tantrum-in-waiting.

Chloe let out a screech that was probably supposed to be some sort of name as she pelted towards the newcomer. He was tallish, blond, green-eyed, undeniably handsome in the same way that vanilla cupcakes were undeniably tasty. He didn’t _seem_ evil as he stood there, smiling at the one-woman-disaster that flung herself at him.

Juleka knew who he was of course. Everyone did. A new kind of buzz was already filling the courtyard.

 _Adrien Agreste_ , they whispered as recognition spread through the school. The young celebrity stood there, smiling down at Chloe. If he’d been smiling like that at anyone else, Juleka would have thought he seemed like a nice dude.

But he was smiling at _Chloe_. That meant that he was either really, really, really, really, _really_ nice or that he was just as messed up as she was. Juleka didn’t really care enough to find out. Already, students were flocking to Adrien, homing in on him from all sides. Juleka wouldn’t take money to join that crowd.

“Oh my goodness,” Rose squealed beside her. Juleka looked down to see her gazing at Adrien with shining eyes, her hands pressed against her cheeks. Juleka felt a smile pull at her lips despite herself. She looked so cute. “That’s Adrien Agreste! Oh, he’s so pretty.” Juleka felt her smile widen.

“Pretty?” she asked, turning towards the stairs. Rose followed her, though her eyes stayed on the knot of students surrounding Chloe and Adrien.

“Yes,” Rose said firmly. Her voice turned wistful. Her eyes turned dreamy. Juleka had to grab her arm to steer her away from the wall. “He’s sooo pretty.” Juleka shook her head, placing her hands on Rose’s shoulders to pilot her into the classroom with a minimum of door frame collision. Most of their classmates were already in their spots. Juleka steered Rose up the stairs to their seats, applying pressure to her shoulders to sit her down. Rose immediately placed her chin in her hands and melted into the table.

“I never imagined he’d be so nice looking in person,” Rose sighed, her eyes still vacant. Suddenly, she perked up. “Oh! Chloe was saying something yesterday about saving a spot for an Adrien. What if he’s in our class? Oh my goodness, Juleka!” Rose squealed. Juleka sighed. She seriously hoped that this dreamy mood wouldn’t persist. Juleka loved Rose, but if she had to listen to her gush over some dude for the rest of the year, she wasn’t sure what would happen. But Rose looked so cute with her eyes unfocused, looking at some vision only she could see, her head propped on her hands. Juleka couldn’t stop the smile. She rarely could when it came to Rose.

Both Juleka’s and Rose’s thoughts were interrupted by Chloe’s squealing. Sure enough, the girl burst into the room, followed soon afterwards by Adrien. Rose let out a quiet squeak.

Again, Juleka was struck by how nice Adrien seemed. His touch on Chloe’s shoulder was so familiar, so friendly. He sat next to Nino, holding out his hand without hesitation. Evil came in many forms, but Adrien, at the very least, was not Chloe’s brand of demon. He didn’t seem stuck up or rude. He didn’t blow up when Nino didn’t move to take his hand. He hadn’t flaunted his celebrity thus far, though he hardly needed to with everyone else doing it for him. Juleka wondered…

“Hey, what’s that all about?” Adrien said loudly, standing up. Juleka focused again as his voice pierced her thoughts. She looked down on the scene unfolding. Juleka couldn’t quite see from where she sat, but she could tell from their conversation that Chloe had done _something_ to Marinette and Alya’s seats. Juleka watched with interest as Adrien stepped up, bending down to scrape at the seat. She wasn’t sure what surprised her more, the fact that Adrien was disagreeing with Chloe or the fact that he was doing something about it. She didn’t have time to ponder what this meant because yet another voice drew Juleka’s attention.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Marinette demanded from her place at the doorway with Alya. Marinette was on Adrien in a second. She could be fierce when she wanted to be, only Chloe really cowing her, and Adrien received the full force of her ire.

Juleka watched as Adrien tried, and failed, to defend himself. He didn’t raise his voice, didn’t get indignant…and didn’t rat out Chloe. He sat back down next to Nino, his head drooping. Juleka could see his sadness from across the classroom. She knew that her earlier assessment, that if he wasn’t evil, he was likely way too nice, was correct.

Whereas Chloe would have responded with anger and insults, not hesitating to throw anyone, even her closest friends, under the bus, Adrien had only responded to this total stranger’s anger with sadness. Juleka watched Nino hold out his hand to Adrien, a smile stretching across his face.

Juleka wondered how long it would take for them to become friends.

Rose was still lost in the dreamy haze that had settled over her when Adrien entered the classroom so Juleka wandered her own thoughts as Ms. Bustier began to call role. She had plenty to think about after the morning’s events. Class had barely begun and already so much had gone down. Chloe and Adrien and Ivan, oh my…

Ivan.

Juleka looked over at the seat he'd claimed on the first day of class, now lying empty.

_Where was Ivan?_

Juleka didn't have to wonder for very long. The next moment, Stoneheart burst through door, his roar sending the students scattering immediately. Juleka stayed rooted to her seat, staring up at the stone giant in fascination.

_So cool…_

Juleka felt delicate fingers wrap around her wrist as Rose dragged her from the bench, crawling up the stairs and cowering against her in the corner. Surrounded by someone else’s fear, Juleka looked up at Stoneheart through her eyes. She could see how he struck terror into the heart of Paris. Human shaped, but so utterly inhuman, so large, so powerful. He scooped up Mylene without a second thought. Ivan was somewhere within the monster, but he wasn’t Ivan anymore. Juleka remembered the fear on Ivan’s face that morning. She remembered the misery in his voice when Mylene wouldn’t look at him.

Mylene. That was the name on his tongue now. That was who he screamed for. Ivan was still in there somewhere. Frightened and miserable. Alone.

Juleka felt Rose trembling, her fingers digging into Juleka’s side, her gasping breath barely audible over the sound of Stoneheart bashing through a wall. He had Chloe now too. Juleka felt her heart squeeze in her chest when Stoneheart leapt from the room. Those were her  _friends_. And even with everything that had happened with Chloe, Juleka had still known her her entire life and now...

They were all in danger.

As suddenly as the chaos had started, it was over. At least for them. For a moment, the only sounds remaining in the classroom were the gasping of frightened students, the fading stomps of Stoneheart, the wind whistling past the brand new hole in the wall. Juleka felt Rose trembling against her, could hear the ragged breathing of Kim, Max, and Alix next to them, and wondered when they had joined them in their corner. Then Alya was at the hole and her voice, and Marinette’s, dominated the room. Then there was running and moving and talking.

Juleka didn’t pay attention. She was busy stroking Rose’s hair. Rose had her arms wrapped tightly around her waist. Her chest was heaving with terrified sobs. For the second time in two days, she had come face to face with an angry monster. So Juleka stroked Rose’s hair. She stroked her arm. Let Rose tremble against her and bowed over her, encompassing her in her arms and in a sheet of black hair. Juleka always felt safer behind her bangs. She stroked Rose’s hair until sobs turned into gasps and gasps turned into sighs. She stayed bowed over her until Rose loosened her arms around her waist and shifted underneath her curtain of hair. Juleka gradually withdrew from her friend until Rose sat up, not calm, but capable of breathing now. Rose looked at her with watery eyes and offered her a small smile. Juleka took it with a nod and stood, bringing Rose with her to her feet. Max, Kim, and Alix had long since moved away.

“Come on, girls,” Ms. Bustier said from the arch that had once held a door, herding the other students into the hall, her voice a little shaky. “We’re all going to the library.” Juleka moved towards the door, keeping a firm hold on Rose’s hand, ignoring the way her slim fingers felt by focusing on the way they clutched at hers.

“I hope they’ll be okay,” Rose said quietly, her hand finally releasing Juleka’s as they walked towards the library. She curled her hands close to her chest. Juleka ignored the way she missed those hands by focusing on the quiet worry in Rose's eyes.

“They will be,” Juleka said. Rose looked up at her, a small grateful smile crossing her face. They entered the library, eyes immediately going to the large screen above the front desk. They’d pulled up the news coverage of Stoneheart. He was standing on the Eiffel Tower, his fists still clutching Mylene and Chloe. Juleka felt her chest tighten.

“Oh,” Rose breathed beside her. Her hand fumbled for Juleka’s again and she squeezed, burying her face in Juleka’s shoulder. Juleka stared up at the video. Ivan…

Juleka’s breath lodged in her throat as Ivan raised his fist and launched Chloe. She watched in horror as 110 pounds of blonde tantrum-in-waiting flew towards the hard cement at a murderous speed. She didn’t want to watch, didn’t want to see the inevitable result. No one would get there in time. How could they? Chloe would hit the ground and…

Just before the blip of blonde hit the ground, a blur of red sped into view and intersected it. The camera zoomed in and there was Ladybug holding Chloe in her arms. Juleka released her breath in unison with everyone else in the library. They all let out a cheer. Even Rose looked up to see Ladybug holding the blonde girl and let out a small whoop. Even Juleka gave a little smile.

Chloe was a hard person to deal with, but that…

Juleka was glad that Ladybug was there. The battle had barely begun.

The camera shifted back to Stoneheart and Juleka’s breath caught again as she saw the monster bend over, his body heaving. Mylene, barely more than a pale head in Stoneheart’s fist, flew through the air as the monster thrashed.

 _Not Mylene_ , Juleka thought, her heart seizing. _You can’t save Chloe and not Mylene_.

Stoneheart’s head fell back and a cloud of deep purple…somethings flew from his stone mouth. Then, he fell backwards from the beam on which he stood. Juleka’s hand flew forward, as if she could somehow catch her friends before they fell. Backwards was safer than forwards and Ivan was safe in his rocky form, but Mylene was too soft. Too soft.

However, the cameras seemed more interested in the face currently forming in the shifting purple cloud, so Juleka had no choice but to focus _it_ rather than her friends. Thus preoccupied with the possibility of the horrible death of a person she cared about, it took a second to register that the cloud was…it was _monologuing_.

The asshole had possessed an innocent boy, caused him to almost murder another sort of innocent boy and a sort of innocent girl, was on the verge of hurting yet another completely innocent teenager, and now had the nerve to _monologue_? Juleka didn’t care what his name was. She didn’t care what he wanted. She wanted someone to punch him in his fluttery purple face.

Thus, she was very gratified when the cameras shifted to Ladybug, who was walking forwards with a monologue of her own.

“No matter how long it takes,” the spotted hero was saying as she strode towards the tower. “We _will_ find you and you will hand us _your_  Miraculous.” With that, Ladybug leapt upwards, flying impossibly high as she flung out her yoyo. It was astounding, the sight of the hero flying through the air, a look of utter determination on her face, the yoyo flying out again and again, each time forming large gaps in the face of the villain, who had just named himself as Hawk Moth (which was a stupid name). It was also very satisfying.

The remaining purple bits scattered as Ladybug landed on the beam where Stoneheart had stood, her lithe red form crouching to absorb the impact of her impossible leap.

“Let me make this promise to you,” Ladybug cried, turning back to the crowd formed in front of the tower. The camera zoomed in on her so that the confidence on her face filled the screen. “No matter who wants to harm you, Ladybug and Chat Noir will do everything in our power to keep you safe.” With that, she did something to her yoyo and a cloud of white, fluttering wings filled the air and with a whoosh, dispersed over Paris.

The entire library let out a cry even louder than the first one, carried away on a wave of Ladybug’s confidence. She was here. She was strong. And she was ready to save the day. Juleka shouted along with the others, more than satisfied with their city’s new heroes.

At that moment, Stoneheart reminded them that the battle was far from over. The remainder was no less thrilling or worrisome, but it was somehow easier to watch with Ladybug’s words ringing in her ears. Ladybug perched on the tip of the Eiffel Tower as Chat Noir held off the army of stone monsters that climbed towards them. At one point both Mylene and Ivan were free falling from the tallest building in Paris. Juleka gasped and Rose cried and she swore that her heart was getting a workout from the number of times it stopped and started. But at long last, somehow, the heroes of Paris were safely on the ground along with Ivan and Mylene.

Ladybug threw something red into the air and suddenly the air was full of glowing red swirls, darting across the screen with airy whooshes. They covered the remaining stone monsters, reverting them back to humans. Juleka heard a whoosh underneath the cheering in the library and knew that when they walked back out, the door to the classroom would be back on its hinges; the hole in the wall would be a memory.

Juleka couldn’t stop herself from beaming. Not that she wanted to. She couldn’t tear her eyes off of the sight of her friends safe on the ground, not even when Rose wrapped her arms around Juleka’s middle. Rose was still crying, but they were happy tears. Juleka’s breath caught now for different reasons as she wrapped her arms around her friend. She forced herself to breathe, the air coming out in a happy sigh.

It had been a long, long day, but they had all come through relatively unscathed and that was all Juleka could ask for. That, and another hug from Rose. 

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The next day, Ivan was already in the classroom when Juleka and Rose walked in, standing next to Mylene’s table, a shy smile on his face as he talked to her.

Juleka slid into her seat, eyes still on the two teens, glad to see the gentle expression on Ivan’s face. It was so different from the stiff, terrified expression he’d worn the day before. Mylene looked back up at him, craning her neck to see his face. She too had a shy smile, the same tenderness from the previous morning shining from her face.

Juleka wondered how long it would take for them to officially start dating.

“Oh, they're so in love,” Rose sighed, her eyes on the same scene. “I’m so happy for them. They’re perfect for each other. Maybe they’ll be this year’s OTP!” Rose gushed, the words tumbling out of her mouth in their typical unstoppable fashion. Juleka turned amused eyes to her friend.

“Was there an OTP last year?” Juleka asked, knowing that Rose wouldn’t catch the sarcasm in her voice. Rose gasped, turning to Juleka with shock.

“Of course, Juleka!” Rose cried, dismay coloring her face. “There's always an OTP. Last year it was Aurora and Mireille, but…well, we all know how that ended." Rose's face fell.

“What about the year before?” Juleka asked. Rose blushed. She looked up at Juleka, the pink deepening as she pressed her lips together. She looked like she really didn’t want to answer the question.

Juleka thought back to their first year of being in a class together. She rarely paid much attention to what passed for dating amongst her classmates. There was only one romance she was interested in and it was impossible. But Rose’s reluctance stoked Juleka’s curiosity. Who could the class have shipped that year? And why didn’t Rose want to tell her?

Juleka opened her mouth to ask again when Chloe’s voice shattered her concentration. Juleka groaned inwardly. Couldn’t the girl go _one morning_ without making a scene?

Juleka looked down and for once was slightly surprised at what she saw. Marinette and Alya were sitting in the seats Marinette had claimed on the first day of class before Chloe had forced her to move. Juleka couldn’t see Marinette’s face, but something about her said _defiance_. That in itself wasn't so abnormal. What _was_ surprising? She was obviously defying Chloe. Marinette was standing up to the girl she had bowed to for almost a decade.

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing,” Marinette was saying, responding to whatever Chloe had shrieked upon entering the classroom. Her posture was relaxed, her elbows resting on the desk, her chin resting on her hands. She was the picture of nonchalance. When had Marinette ever been nonchalant when it came to Chloe? And when had she gained so much confidence?

“What is that supposed to mean?” Chloe demanded, a smirk barely hiding her confusion. It seemed that  _she_  wanted to know when Marinette had gained this confidence as well.

“It means that I am not putting up with your crud anymore, Chloe,” Marinette said, her voice strong, conviction evident in every word. “And neither is anyone else around here so take your attitude and go on, get lost.” Marinette finished her piece standing, her hand on her hip and her face victorious as she pointed towards the seat she had been exiled to two days earlier. Chloe looked so astounded, so bemused, that when the class burst out into laughter, Juleka couldn’t help but chuckle along. Juleka knew that Chloe had lost. Chloe knew it too, stomping her way over to her new seat with as much resentment as she could muster. Juleka shifted her gaze from the angry Chloe to the triumphant Marinette. She stood there with her hands on her hips, her chin up, her eyes blazing. There was strength in her stance, in her words.

Who was this and what had they done to Marinette?

Marinette had always been fierce, but not like this, not with Chloe. Her monologue stirred something in Juleka’s brain and she was assaulted by a strange feeling. Not déjà vu, not quite. But she knew that something had happened to Marinette. Something had changed.

Juleka let the thought go as the feeling faded and her gaze shifted to Adrien’s much subtler entrance. He offered a hesitant wave to Marinette who immediately turned her head away. Now that, Juleka was familiar with. Marinette could hold a grudge like nobody’s business. Adrien’s smile faltered and he slumped into his seat in front of Marinette. She gestured at Alya, irritated and emphatic, while Nino talked to a downcast Adrien.

Juleka got the feeling that one way or another, Ivan and Mylene were not going to be the couple everybody was watching.

This was going to be an interesting year.

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Juleka lingered after the last bell rang, deliberately taking her time completing the sketch in front of her. She was glad that she had art last period this year. She was also glad to have it with Nathanaël again. Neither she of them were big talkers, but they shared a love for art that they didn’t need to discuss. Sometimes they talked, but often they sat in comfortable silence, occasionally showing each other what they were working on or asking for advice. Juleka liked this for similar reasons that she liked hanging out with Rose. She didn’t have to work at a conversation.

The bell rang and the other students began packing up their things, including Nathanaël. He raised his eyebrow at her when he noticed her still sketching. Juleka shrugged at him. He nodded.

“I’ll see you later,” he said quietly, smiling at her as he shouldered his bag and moved away.

Juleka was very glad to have art with Nathanaël.

Moments later, the last student had left and Juleka was alone. Ms. Monet had long since given Juleka standing permission to use the art room unsupervised, so she was gone too. It was just Juleka and her pencil and the sketch pad in front of her.

She didn’t stay long today. Other days, Juleka would stay for hours. Sketching, painting, whatever. Everything she loved. Anything in order to avoid going home.

Today, she didn’t stay. Rose had invited her over for dinner to “celebrate not dying." Juleka smiled just thinking about it.

Juleka wondered how many times this year Rose would make up excuses for her to come over for dinner.

Today, Juleka drank in her moment of freedom and then packed up her things. She took her time. It felt good to move slowly, let her hands glide over surfaces, feeling smooth paper, rough fabric, jagged zipper. Still, it was mere moments later that Juleka turned off the lights and left the art room behind.

She had hoped that no one would be remaining in the school when she left the art room so that she could retain her solitude for a little while longer. She saw immediately that her hopes were not to be fulfilled. Two students were still in the courtyard, one standing in the doorway, probably waiting for a ride or delaying the inevitable plunge into the rain that had started, and one crossing the courtyard, also on their way home. Juleka recognized the pigtails on the former and the perfect blond hair of the latter. Marinette and Adrien. Juleka stopped, wanting to see what would happen when the two crossed paths. Adrien really seemed to be bothered by her anger at him. And she…well, Marinette almost seemed _too_ angry.

Adrien paused next to Marinette, lifting his hand in the same tentative wave he had offered that morning. Marinette looked away, also in an imitation of earlier. Adrien’s whole demeanor fell and Juleka wondered just how long Marinette’d stay mad when he was so obviously different from Chloe. He opened his umbrella and turned as if he was about to walk away.

But then he stopped.

Juleka watched with interest as Adrien paused in front of Marinette. She couldn’t hear what he was saying, couldn’t see either of their faces, but she was certain that Adrien was talking to Marinette, explaining himself, trying to get her to listen. She could make out a slight shrug before Adrien turned around and held the umbrella out to Marinette. Nothing happened for a moment. The two seemed to just stare at one another. Then Marinette’s hand floated up. Juleka couldn’t see their faces, but she could see the hesitation.

But the umbrella exchanged hands. It almost felt like some sort of pact had been made. Like something big had happened. Like something had changed.

And then the umbrella snapped shut on Marinette. Adrien, like Juleka, froze for a moment. Then he started laughing. The umbrella raised a little, then started shaking a little as Marinette laughed along. Adrien said something to Marinette, then turned and walked towards the car waiting for him at the curb. Marinette stood there, staring after Adrien. Her hand raised in a jerky wave, her whole body seeming taught and nervous.

Juleka felt a smile stretch across her face as she turned away from the scene.

Another year.

She couldn’t wait to see what it would bring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Hey look someone made some hella awesome art](http://secretlyalya.tumblr.com/post/145792794819/espurr-roba-juleka-felt-a-smile-stretch-across).


	2. No One Likes Clowns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juleka is forced to go to a party against her will.

“-and then she just runs up and kisses him even though he said all of those things and oh my goodness it is so romantic, Juleka,” Rose said, her hands clasped in front of her as she recounted her book to Juleka in extensive detail. It was a beautiful day in Paris. The sun was shining. There was a nice breeze blowing away the heat. And Rose looked wonderful with her eyes lit up with visions of romance.

“Sounds more abusive than romantic,” Juleka said, taking Rose’s arm to stop her before she walked into traffic. Cars shot past on the busy Parisian street, the wind from their passing creating a slight whooshing sound. It played with Rose’s bangs as she frowned up at Juleka.

“Abusive?” Rose asked, baby blues growing wide. “But he loves her and she forgives him for his faults and love saves them in the end,” Rose protested, her arms flinging out. Juleka caught Rose’s wrist before she hit the man waiting next to them for the light to change. The book she clutched in her hand might have been paperback, but it could still do some damage.

“His faults?” Juleka asked, one eyebrow rising. The light changed and Juleka used Rose’s wrist to pull her along. “He emotionally abuses her the entire time.” Juleka released Rose’s hand when they reached the other side of the street, but her fingers still tingled. Rose pouted, wrapping both arms around her book protectively.

“It’s not like that. You just have to read it,” Rose said. Juleka knew that Rose loved her romances and so let the subject drop rather than point out that she might as well have read the novel due to Rose’s play by play. Rose suddenly looked up at Juleka, her whole face brightening with whatever thought had just darted through her head. Juleka was momentarily stunned. No matter how many times Rose looked at her like that, it never ceased to overwhelm her.

“Juleka?” Rose asked. Juleka’s attention snapped back into place.

“Sorry, what?” Juleka asked. Rose giggled.

“My parents said you could come over after school today,” Rose said, looking up at Juleka with a shy smile. “If you want to, that it is.”

“No, you guys have game night tonight,” Juleka said, letting her bangs fall forward as she looked down. “I don’t want to intrude.”

“You wouldn’t be intruding,” Rose said, her hands fluttering up to negate Juleka’s statement. She dropped her book, the paper hitting the ground with a light thud.

“I know,” Juleka said, scooping up the book and handing it back to Rose, smiling a little at the pink now dusting her cheeks. “But it’s a family thing. I can’t.”

“You _are_ family, Juleka,” Rose said quietly, peering up at Juleka through her lashes in a way that simply wasn’t fair.

“Yeah,” Juleka replied, even though she didn't really believe it. She knew from experience that any other response would result in a half an hour conversation that Juleka wasn’t interested in having. Again. “I’ll see you back at school, okay?” Juleka said, doing her best to imitate the light happiness that Rose always carried. She failed utterly, but the result was enough for Rose to drop the matter.

“See you back at school,” Rose said. She smiled up at her friend for a moment before throwing her arms around her. Juleka felt warmth unfold within her as she wrapped her arms around Rose. When they parted, both girls had smiles on their faces. Rose gave Juleka a little wave, her head tilted, her eyes closed, then floated on down the street towards her house. Juleka watched her go, replaying the hug and the wave in her head until most of the bitterness in her heart had been smoothed away. Then she turned the corner, heading in a different direction.

On days when Juleka wasn’t hanging out in the art room or at Rose’s house, she had another destination to which she liked to retreat. Today, the art room was being used by the pottery class as they rushed to finish preparing for a showcase and Juleka rarely had lunch at Rose’s, so her feet almost automatically turned to option number three.

Juleka had found La Tortue de Guérison years before while wandering the streets of Paris. It was before she had met Rose and the art teacher at the time didn’t really trust her. Something about emo kids and destruction of property. So Juleka had taken to wandering to avoid her house.

The first time the old man who sometimes sat in front of La Tortue de Guérison had tried to talk to her, Juleka had ducked her head and kept walking.

The second time he tried to talk to her, Juleka kept her eyes fixed on the ground and escaped as soon as possible.

The third time he tried to talk to her, Juleka met his eyes once. It was only because of the deep kindness she read there that she stayed for a few moments. When she walked away, she was surprised to find that she wished she had stayed longer.

The fourth time he talked to her, he brought Juleka a cup of tea and they stood at his gate, her outside, him inside. They talked until the cups were empty and then he bid her farewell.

The fifth time he talked to her, Juleka tried to find the courage to ask him if she could come inside. She failed. But when the old man turned to go inside, he asked her if she was coming.

Now, Juleka regarded the plain storefront of La Tortue de Guérison with affection as she passed it, turning the corner and slipping through the gate. The garden that lay behind the building was small and looked more like it belonged in China than squeezed into the heart of Paris. Simply stepping inside the high wooden fence had Juleka breathing easier. She glanced in the glass doors, looking to see if there was a client. Seeing no one, Juleka eased them open and stepped inside.

“Master Fu?” Juleka called, setting her bag down by the door. If the old man wasn’t there it wasn’t a big deal. Like with the art room, Juleka had standing permission to be there. So regardless of whether he was present she could stay, but she was hoping…

“Ah, Juleka,” Master Fu said, entering the room with a smile and a tray laden with a steaming teapot and three cups. A wide smile stretched across Juleka’s face. “I was wondering when I’d see you again.”

“Is that why you brewed enough tea for three?” Juleka asked, allowing one eyebrow to rise. Master Fu chuckled, gesturing with the tray towards the door. Juleka opened it, preceding him outside.

“I had a feeling I’d be seeing you today,” Master Fu said as he set the tray down on the little iron table. He lifted the teapot, filling one teacup and handing it to Juleka. She took the cup and carried it inside, placing it next to the ornate phonograph and rejoining Master Fu outside where he had filled both of their cups. This was their routine. Juleka would show up and if Master Fu had time, he’d make tea for three. He never explained to Juleka why he set out a cup of tea that, as far as Juleka could tell, was never drunk. She didn’t ask.

“How are you, my dear?” Master Fu asked, sipping his tea. Juleka didn’t answer right away, choosing instead to stare into her teacup.

“I’m okay,” Juleka said at last, taking a sip of her own tea. Oolong. Juleka sighed. Master Fu only served her Oolong tea when she was upset. He always seemed to know. She looked up at the old man seated next to her, taking in his raised eyebrow, the stern set of his mouth. “I’m fine, Master Fu,” Juleka tried. Master Fu kept his eyebrow raised.

“What happened with Rose?” Master Fu asked as Juleka raised her teacup to her lips again. She froze, her eyes darting up to meet his. She sighed again, lowering the cup.

“It’s really nothing,” Juleka said, feeling her resolve breaking. Master Fu stayed silent. “It’s game night at her house. She wanted me to come.”

“And game night is bad?” Master Fu asked. Juleka shook her head slightly, feeling her bangs brush against her cheek.

“No, it’s not bad, it’s just…” Juleka said, examining the little particles settling at the bottom of her cup. “It’s just so normal. That isn’t really bad either. Rose’s family is always normal. Her parents and her little brother, they’re really normal and really nice.” Juleka heard glass clink against metal as Master Fu set down his tea. She didn’t have to look at him to know that he was watching her with sympathy in his eyes. With understanding. She was glad _he_ understood because she didn’t really understand it herself.

“But when they’re playing board games and talking and laughing and being so _normal_ …” Juleka said. “I don’t really know how to fit with them anymore.” She finally looked up at Master Fu. She was right. His lips were set in a small smile that wrinkled well-worn paths at the corners of his eyes. Understanding was written on every line. He cocked his head at her thoughtfully. Juleka turned her eyes back to her tea.

“It’s okay to not belong,” Master Fu said quietly. Juleka stroked the delicate glass under fingers. Blue patterns flowed across a white surface. It was smooth and cool. So easy to break.

“But I want to belong with them,” Juleka murmured. “They work so hard.”She felt rough fingers touch her arm. She looked down at Master Fu’s hand, surprisingly smooth, but slightly knobby and tough. It didn’t look like the hand of a masseuse or a healer to her. It looked like the hand of the warrior. Whatever his hands were, she felt his touch ease the tightness in her chest.

“Finding one’s place can be hard,” Master Fu said, tightening his grip on her arm. Juleka allowed her eyes to slide up. Master Fu wasn’t looking at her, but rather focused on a spot over her shoulder the way people do when they’re remembering. His eyes slid back to her face, warmth crinkling his eyes and stretching his smile. “But trust me that you _will_ find a place, Juleka. No one with such kindness in their heart can stay alone.” Juleka felt her eyes widen as she stared back at the old man. She opened her mouth to reply.

Then was promptly distracted by the sight of a bright green bubble rising past the fence. A bright green bubble that held a woman. She had her hands pressed against the transparent surface, looking about her in a panic. The woman locked eyes with Juleka. She mouthed two words. _Help me_.

Another bubble rose past the fence. It had a man trapped within. Another bubble rose and another. The sky was slowly filling with green orbs, all holding panicked Parisians.

“Master Fu?” Juleka asked, turning to look at him. He had his eyes fixed on the sky, his smile gone, his brows furrowed. He rose from his seat and moved quickly towards the gate, throwing it open and stepping out onto the sidewalk. Juleka had only just risen to follow him when he was enveloped in neon green. “Master Fu!” Juleka called, lunging towards the gate. It was only a few feet from where they’d been seated at the table, but by the time she hit the sidewalk, Master Fu had already floated out of reach. She looked up at him, her breath hitching in her throat as she met his eyes. He crouched inside on hands and knees as he gazed down at Juleka. _Go_ , he mouthed. Juleka remained frozen.

Could he breath? How high would the bubble float? How long would the bubble last? Questions raged through Juleka’s mind like wildfire. She had no doubt that this was the work of an akuma, but that was something she’d have to entrust to Ladybug and Chat Noir. She had to focus on what she could do to help Master Fu _now_.

Which was absolutely nothing.

Juleka’s attention was diverted from her friend floating farther and farther away by the buzzing of her phone in her pocket. Juleka fumbled for the device, barely registering Rose’s caller ID before answering.

“ _Juleka!_ ” Rose’s shaky voice called through the phone. “ _My parents, th-they were here and now they bubbles and floating green gone bubbles and party Adrien go_ -”

“Rose!” Juleka said sharply, cutting off Rose’s panicked babble. “I’ve seen the bubbles. They got your parents? You and Lucas okay?” Juleka asked, her eyes fixing on Master Fu again. He seemed to have shifted so that he was sitting with his legs crossed beneath him. She could no longer see his face.

“ _Lucas is fine. I’m… fine_ ,” Rose confirmed. “ _But Juleka, the Bubbler came and_ -”

“What?” Juleka said, cutting Rose off again. The Bubbler sounded an awful lot like a name for an akuma. A _lame_ name. “You’re with the akuma? Rose, get out of there.”

“ _No, Juleka, listen_ ,” Rose said, her voice less shaky as she continued. “ _The Bubbler is gathering our class together. He said_ -” Juleka didn’t get to hear the rest of what Rose was saying, but it hardly mattered.

Because the man himself showed up to deliver the message.

The Bubbler dropped down in front of Juleka seemingly out of nowhere, causing her to rear back, her phone slipping from her fingers.

“Congratulations,” the Bubbler exclaimed in a jovial tone, his face much too close to Juleka’s for comfort. The overly upbeat voice, the primary colors, the absolutely ridiculous costume, it all screamed fun in the way that clowns scream fun.

Juleka had always hated clowns.

“You’ve been invited to the party of the year,” the Bubbler said

“I don’t do parties,” Juleka said, her tone flat and her face hard as she stared at the Bubbler. He kinda sounded like Nino, but this certainly wasn’t her classmate. Not anymore.

“This one, _you do_ ,” the Bubbler said, his whole demeanor dropping from jovial to threatening in a matter of seconds. Before Juleka could react, the Bubbler’s hands fastened under Juleka’s arms. Then, they were in the sky.

 

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Juleka stared up at the Bubbler where he stood on his bubble. She was thoroughly unimpressed. She and her friends had been kidnapped by a clown and now were being forced to participate in a surprise party for a boy she hardly knew under threat of _bubble_. Not only that, but their adult family and friends were already floating higher and higher and were presumably never to be seen again. To top it all off, the snack table didn’t have anything good. What was Juleka supposed to do if she couldn’t linger by the snack table?

“And absolutely no awkward hanging by the snack table,” the Bubbler added, bringing his rant past the ten-minute mark. Juleka narrowed her eyes at the villain. She wondered if she could jump high enough to smack him. Juleka looked away, deciding that was probably impractical. Her eyes fell on Rose, standing in front of her.

The girl’s head was bowed, her shoulders hunched. Her hands clutched her elbows. Juleka could hear her little gasps. She placed her hand on Rose’s back, rubbing little comforting circles. Rose glanced up at her and Juleka could see the water gathering in her eyes, which were beginning to glaze over. A bolt of worry shot through Juleka.

“It’s weird and makes all snack-gathering ventures uncomfortable, so get your snacks and leave,” the Bubbler continued. Juleka glanced away from Rose to glare at him again. The Bubbler opened his mouth, presumably to give them all another stupid rule, when he suddenly straightened, a manic smile spreading across his face.

“Showtime, dudes,” the Bubbler called. He zoomed around behind them so that he could face the doors. Juleka couldn’t see him, but she could feel him hovering behind them, stupidity rolling off of him in waves. “Get ready to greet the guest of honor,” the Bubbler cried, sounding as happy as a clown in a wig store.

“Or else,” he added in a low growl.

The massive front door of the Agreste mansion creaked open and Adrien slid out. He looked utterly downcast, depressed, not noticing the party set up in his courtyard right away. He didn’t seem panicked or frightened. Maybe he didn’t know that an akuma attack was in progress.

Well, he was about to know in three, two, one…

“Happy birthday!” Juleka cheered along with the others, clapping for Adrien. She was still annoyed. Pissed off, in fact. But Adrien looked so sad…

“Hey, hey, hey, birthday boy!” the Bubbler called from above them, much like a clown would. Juleka gritted her teeth. “Guess what? Daddy’s gone. While the cat’s away, the mice will play.”

 _Or party at wandpoint. Same thing_ , Juleka thought, glaring at the Bubbler’s back.

“Nino?” Adrien asked in astonishment, confirming Juleka’s suspicion. She didn’t know what had sent the normally chill Nino off the edge and she was extraordinarily annoyed at whatever it was. But…Juleka had to admit that even though he was annoying and evil and clown-like and a snack-Nazi, the Bubbler- Nino- was trying to do something nice for his friend. He was going about it in the worst fashion, but he was trying…

That didn’t stop Juleka from being annoyed.

“The Bubbler’s brought all your homies together for one single sole purpose: to ce-le-brate!” the Bubbler cried, pumping his fist. As scripted, the class cheered in response. Juleka wondered if Adrien could hear the note of fear dulling the fake joy in their voices. The Bubbler finally dismounted from his bubble, doing a flip (that Juleka had to admit was kind of cool- for a clown) and landing behind the DJ booth. “Let’s get this party started.”

Music poured from the speakers and, as directed, they began to dance. Juleka heard the door of the mansion open and close, but didn’t look to see what Adrien was doing. She was busy glaring at the Bubbler while she did an awkward step touch in time to the music.

“Come on, everybody, I brought you here to party,” the Bubbler called as the teens began to move. His colorful face turned sinister. “So dance or you’ll join the adults up in the sky.” He let out a maniacal laugh as fireworks shot up with a loud whine culminating in an explosion. Juleka thought that the fireworks were a tad excessive, especially since the birthday boy wasn’t even outside. She also thought the warning was excessive. They all knew what was at stake.

Though Juleka appreciated the reminder that she had another option.

Juleka glanced around at her classmates and wondered why the Bubbler thought Adrien would appreciate this. Nobody looked like they were at a party. A funeral, sure. But a party? Who would want a party like this? Nobody danced with any enthusiasm. Nobody wanted to talk or sing or shout. The Bubbler was the only one making any kind of noise. The Bubbler was the only one who seemed alive.

Juleka sighed, resigning herself to the next however many minutes- or hours- of boredom that lay before her.

At some point, Adrien left his mansion and joined the party. Juleka watched him through her bangs. As the only person other than the Bubbler that had any sort of enthusiasm, he was the only thing worth watching. Adrien didn’t seem to be picking up on the funeral-esque air. He was grinning from ear to ear, his fists bumping along to the beat. He slid over to Rose.

“Hey! Nice party,” Adrien said, his voice upbeat and happy. Juleka felt her eyebrow raise of its own accord. He seriously didn’t notice? “I guess, since it’s my first one.” Adrien shrugged a little with his last remark and Juleka’s chest tightened a little. He had never been to a party before? Even Juleka had been to parties before. She sighed, her eyes falling from the pitifully happy birthday boy to Rose. Normally, Rose would have been ecstatic to interact with something so pretty, but all she could dredge up was a small smile and a thumbs up, her face immediately reverting to sadness. Juleka’s chest tightened even more.

Adrien’s whole body drooped then. His arms fell, his head lowered, his shoulders slumped a little. Juleka watched him look around, saw the saddened realization settle onto his face. Juleka’s chest tightened so hard she thought her heart might just give up and stop trying to beat.

The music abruptly changed from a quick beat to a sway. Juleka heaved another sigh. Slow dances weren’t any better than fast ones. Juleka turned to settle her hands on Nathanaël’s shoulders…Except at some point, without her noticing, Nathanaël had moved away and been replaced with Kim. Juleka grimaced, but her hands had already hit the boy’s shoulders and he had placed his hands on her waist. He didn’t say a word, just as downcast as everyone else. He might as well have been Nathanaël. That didn’t stop Juleka from being massively uncomfortable. Juleka stared at his chin, shoving down the next sigh that threatened to push its way out of her throat.

Juleka heard rather than saw Chloe attack Adrien and knew that she had something to do with the music change.

She sure wished Ladybug would hurry up and kick the Bubbler’s butt already.

Thus, Juleka thought it was just wish fulfillment that placed that flash of red on the periphery of her vision. However, when Juleka peered over Kim’s shoulder, Ladybug was crouched high on a wall, surveying the scene. Juleka could just barely make out the fierce determination settled over her face. Juleka was ready to cheer.

Ladybug threw her yoyo, grasping what looked like a record as it fell into her hands. Juleka had no clue how a record was supposed to save them, but she was so ready for it. She had had enough of the Bubbler. He had hurt her friends and she was done with it.

Juleka watched Ladybug wind up and throw the record in an impressive whirl, watched it bounce off a building, and finally watched it bounce and land, against all odds, on the turn table, the record beginning to play. Juleka moved away from Kim as the music changed to something more upbeat. She was grateful for the end of the slow dance, but ready to see how that would help Ladybug put an end to this. She certainly didn’t see how it would help anything to change a song. Juleka turned hopeful eyes back up to Ladybug…

Just in time to see the hero turn and jump out of sight…

 _What?_ Juleka thought, incredulous. Ladybug had just…run off. She changed the song…and left. Just left. Just left a bunch of defenseless, scared teenagers in the hands of a be-clowned maniac wielding a bubble wand. Surely it was part of a plan? Juleka couldn’t see any kind of plan that would include _this_. But it slowly became evident to her that Ladybug wasn’t coming back anytime soon.

_What!?_

Juleka forced down her frustration. She had no choice but to believe that Ladybug knew what she was doing. After all, what could any of _them_ do about it? Was Adrien Agreste supposed to just take down his akumatized best friend for trying to throw him a (lame) birthday party? Juleka sighed again at that ridiculous idea and finally lowered her attention from the empty wall to the gate where Marinette was slipping into the courtyard.

Now that was strange. Marinette hadn’t already been at the party? Juleka searched her memory, but didn’t recall the girl being there. Marinette was head over heels in crush with Adrien. How could she not show up to his birthday party? Why hadn’t the Bubbler dragged her over here the same way he had dragged everyone else?

Juleka’s head was starting to hurt.

She purposefully looked away from Marinette, trying to turn off the flood of questions that was invading her brain. She wasn’t about to get any answers right now.

Her eyes fastened instead upon Ivan. He’d stopped dancing and was leaning up against a wall. It looked nice, much better than pretending to dance amidst this mass of uncomfortable, terrified sadness. Juleka considered joining him.

Pro: she wouldn’t have to dance anymore.

Pro: she could hang out with Ivan.

Pro: she could piss off the Bubbler.

Con: the Bubbler would then use his bubble wand to send both of them soaring towards space and an uncertain doom.

Pro: she might just get to see space before she died.

 

 

Juleka started to head towards Ivan.

Unfortunately, she had not been the only one to notice him.

“Hey, you!” The Bubbler’s voice cut through the music to reach Juleka’s ears as he stomped over to Ivan. Ivan looked up at him, his gaze flat and unfazed. “Why aren’t you having fun?” the Bubbler demanded.

“None of your business,” Ivan threw back, turning angry eyes away from the Bubbler. A horrible cold settled in the pit of Juleka’s stomach. She knew what was about to happen next.

“Then I’m going to make it my business,” the Bubbler said and sure enough, his hand found his bubble wand. Ivan blanched as the Bubbler drew the giant plastic weapon. Juleka watched in fascinated horror as the Bubbler threw a bubble towards Ivan. Before Juleka could blink, he was suspended in shiny green. Ivan floated upwards, panic flashing across his face.

Juleka looked around. Not everyone had seen or heard. Not too surprising given the volume of the music. Those who had looked terrified. Rose stared up at Ivan as he floated farther and farther away. Juleka walked over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Rose tore her eyes away from the ascending bubble to look at Juleka. Her eyes swam with tears again. Juleka heard a throat clear and turned to glare at the Bubbler, who stared back at them with his brows furrowed. Juleka felt Rose cringe beneath her hand. Juleka reluctantly began to move, squeezing Rose’s shoulder to encourage her to do the same. The Bubbler moved away. Rose’s hands darted up to her eyes and moved back to her sides just as quickly. Rule twenty-four of Bubbler parties: no crying.

Much as Juleka wanted to just punch the Bubbler in the face and be done with this, she couldn’t leave Rose. Rose was so scared. She kept glancing up at the receding bubble. Every time she did, Juleka squeezed her hand.

A thought occurred to Juleka then and her gaze darted around the crowd. If Ivan had been bubbled without everyone noticing, had any others? Everyone seemed to be there… Nathanaël, Kim, Sabrina and Chloe, Mylene desperately trying to follow the no crying rule, Max, Alix, Alya and…

 _Marinette. Where was Marinette?_ Juleka thought, her chest tightening and her stomach dropping at the same time. She had been with Alya mere minutes ago. Alya was there, looking highly unconcerned for a hostage. But Marinette was nowhere to be seen.

“Hey, Paris. How you doin’?” an excited voice called over the microphone. Juleka turned to see Adrien on the stage, somehow still looking like an overeager puppy. She’d thought he’d realized that the party wasn’t right. But here he was, still clutching at the fun he’d been missing out on.

No one had any enthusiasm. Everyone was exhausted from vibrating with fear for so long. So, as Adrien stood up there, the crowd just stared. Juleka almost wished she could find it in her to be excited as Adrien’s face fell, but Ivan and possibly Marinette had already joined their families and friends on the missing list and Ladybug and Chat Noir were nowhere to be found. She wasn’t in any mood to cheer. However, as the Bubbler menacingly reached for his wand, Juleka found herself recoiling along with others, found a cheer rising from her throat, found it in her to bounce once more to the beat.

Oh, was Juleka glad when the yoyo flew over their heads and smashed into the cords, cutting off the music.

“Sorry, Bubbler, but the party’s over,” Ladybug said, standing once more on the wall. Juleka now had something to cheer about.

She watched the tense exchange begin between Ladybug and the Bubbler, glancing back and forth between the two. She was distracted by the sight of something blond moving against the frozen crowd between hero and villain and looked down to see Adrien dashing towards the house. She only had a moment to wonder what he was doing before the fight broke out between Ladybug and the Bubbler.

The excuse for a party dissolved into chaos as the two flew at each other, both wielding overpowered children's toys with murder on their faces. Juleka reached for Rose’s hand, their fingers tangling as Rose also reached for hers. Juleka pulled Rose behind her towards the mansion, ducking as bodies collided above them. Juleka was intent on taking cover inside of the mansion, but hands reached out and pulled her and Rose behind the short stone fence edging the area at the top of the stairs.

“Wha-” Juleka began as she was dragged downwards. Mylene and Nathanaël crouched there, panic written across their faces.

“We should go inside,” Juleka said, moving to stand back up, only to be stopped by Rose’s hand. Juleka looked down at her. Rose sat with her back against the bannister, her legs pulled up against her chest.

“Juleka,” Rose whispered. Juleka sighed and crouched next to the girl, wrapping her arms around her.

“Ladybug is here,” Juleka said, stroking Rose’s hair. She ignored the sound of fighting behind them, the frightened sounds of their classmates around them, and focused on the shallow, shaky breathing of Rose curled in her arms. “We’ll be okay.”

“But what about Cha-” Rose began, but stopped abruptly as Chat Noir rushed past them, brandishing his baton.

“And now Chat Noir is here too,” Juleka said reassuringly. “We should-” Juleka also stopped abruptly. _Wait._

Chat Noir had rushed _past_ them. As if he had come from behind them. As if he had come from the mansion. _Why would Chat Noir_ -

The loud popping of bubbles interrupted Juleka’s train of thought and she filed it in the back of her brain for later. Right now, they needed to get somewhere safer. Their classmates stood around them, watching the fight with baited breath. They could stand there if they wanted. Juleka was going to watch from behind windows.

Juleka pulled at Rose’s arms, coaxing her to stand. She was about to turn to head inside when a flurry of wind dragged her attention back to the battle in the kind of curiosity sayings are made of. What Juleka saw had her staring in despair.

Ladybug and Chat Noir, their only hopes, were locked in a bubble.

Then the Bubbler was running towards them. His foot extended. It connected with shiny green. And then Ladybug and Chat Noir were shooting away.

Juleka stared after them. She didn’t breathe, she didn’t think. Juleka wasn’t sure her heart even beat in that long moment. She simply stared after that tiny green dot that only continued to shrink.

Ladybug and Chat Noir, gone.

It wasn’t until small, delicate fingers wrapped around hers that Juleka began again. She looked down at Rose, whose eyes were also fixed skywards. They shifted to Juleka and she almost stopped again. Those big blue eyes were wide with the same kind of defeat that Juleka felt.

How were they to get their loved ones back now?

Ivan, gone.

Rose’s parents, gone.

Master Fu, gone.

Without Ladybug and Chat Noir, there was no hope for Paris.

The Bubbler was here to stay.

“Where is everybody?” the Bubbler demanded, turning towards the crowd of students cowering behind the stone fence. Juleka felt hot anger shoot through her. Master Fu was gone and _this_ clown was still here. “Get out here and party,” the Bubbler commanded.

And then, somehow, they were there.

Ladybug and Chat Noir stood over the gateway and Juleka had never seen anything so beautiful. Hope flooded back into her at the sight of the heroes. All was not lost. Not while they were still around.

Juleka let herself join in as the chant of “Ladybug” began, elation loosening the tightness in her chest. She almost didn’t notice the Bubbler turn towards them, his face dark.

“What’s wrong with all you guys?” the Bubbler demanded.

 _You are_ , Juleka thought.

“Why you gotta be such haters?” he cried.

 _Because nobody likes clowns_ , Juleka thought, a triumphant smile spreading across her face. She missed the Bubbler reaching upwards to grasp his bubble wand. She _didn’t_ miss the line of purple bubbles that raced towards them, but it was too late.

Juleka had thought that there would be some sort of sensation that accompanied being hit by a bubble. She was wrong. The only things that signified that something had changed were the green film that now existed between her and the world and the sudden sensation of weightlessness. The ground fell away quickly as the bubble rose. Juleka turned within the bubble, keeping her knees tucked to her chest as she tried to adjust to the unique new gravity she was subject to. It wasn’t easy when she was rising so fast. In seconds, all Juleka could see was sky. She turned and gasped as she saw all of Paris laid out beneath her.

It was a gorgeous sight despite the green filter, her entire world far below. Juleka decided that heights weren’t all that bad if this was the sight they awarded to her. There was almost nothing between her and the world as she rose, Paris growing smaller and smaller. It looked like something made for a doll. Breathtaking architecture rendered miniature for Juleka’s pleasure. There was the Louvre, its massive glass pyramid looking like a paper weight. There was Notre Dame, its intricate arches barely visible now. Juleka stretched her fingers forward, almost expecting to be able to take the Eiffel Tower in her hand, but she met only the smooth surface of the bubble. She wondered how long it’d be before she could see all of France. Before she could see all of Europe. Before she’d be floating among the stars, seeing firsthand a view that many people have only dreamed about.

Then Juleka wondered how long it’d be before she ran out of air.

Juleka shifted her eyes from what was beneath her to what was above her. The sky still looked a solid color, so she wasn’t going to be seeing any stars just yet. At least, no stars that she wanted to see. Juleka was not the only one floating. Scattered across the sky were hundreds of green bubbles, shining in the sun. Luckily, the shine was mostly blocked by her protective bubble. Otherwise, Juleka suspected she’d find it hard to look at the sight.

It was almost beautiful in the most surreal way, hundreds upon hundreds of bubbles floating up and up and up, all the adults in Paris. Well, Juleka didn’t know about all. But a lot. The bubbles were spread so far apart. Even with so many in the sky, Juleka wasn’t that close to any others. She searched the bubbles, but she couldn’t find Rose. Juleka forced down the wave of panic at that realization. Panic wouldn’t help her now. After all, there was nothing Juleka could actually do. It wasn’t like she could move the bubble. She couldn’t halt anybody’s rise. She couldn’t pop any bubbles. Even if she could, how would they survive the plummet back to earth?

It wouldn’t do Juleka any good to panic. It wouldn’t do her any good to pay heed to question after question that her mind produced for her.

All Juleka could do was wait.

Luckily, she didn’t have to wait for too long.

Juleka had just returned to gazing down at Paris when suddenly swirls of red burst forth from the Eiffel tower, hurtling towards her. Before she could consider what that meant, Juleka was engulfed in shifting wings.

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When the red finally retreated from Juleka’s eyes, she was standing back in the courtyard of the Agreste mansion. It took her a moment to take in the change. One moment miles above Paris, the next safely standing in front of Adrien’s house. It was a lot to take in. However, when a cheer rose up from her classmates, Juleka was more than ready to join in.

Juleka’s eyes swept across her friends. They were back. They were _safe_. They were standing in Adrien’s courtyard, empty now of all signs of the bizarre party they’d been subjected to. Her gaze lingered on Rose’s happy face, taking in those glowing eyes. Juleka forced herself to move on to other faces. She needed to _know_ they were all here, that they were all safe now. Nino wasn’t there of course. But Nathanaël was. So was Max, Kim, Mylene running towards Ivan over by the wall, Sabrina and Chloe, Alix, Alya and…

Wait, where was Marinette?

And Adrien?

How were they not bubbled with the rest of them?

Juleka’s thoughts were interrupted by Rose flinging her arms around her neck. She buried her face in Juleka’s chest. Juleka could feel her trembling. She wrapped her arms around her tightly.

“We’re safe,” Juleka murmured to her friend. “We’re okay.” Rose withdrew, her eyes bright once more. If her laugh was a little shaky, that was okay. It was still a laugh.

“We’re okay,” Rose said, looking up at Juleka. “I’m gonna go check on Maman and Papa and Lucas,” she said then, stepping back a little. One by one the rest of their classmates were gathering together their wits and moving to leave the courtyard, all of them wanting to check on their loved ones. Juleka nodded at Rose, also turning to go. She needed to check on Master Fu.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Juleka asked and couldn’t help but smile at the ecstatic expression that was still lingering on Rose’s face. Rose nodded, her smile unabated.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

 

That night, Juleka dreamed of floating above Paris, up and up and up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next few chapters will continue to cover episodes from Juleka’s point of view. The order of the episodes, since it’s all over the place depending on where it aired, will be based on @[trishmishtree](http://trishmishtree.tumblr.com/)’s [Unofficial Miraculous Ladybug Guide](http://trishmishtree.tumblr.com/unofficial-miraculous-guide).
> 
> I won’t be remixing all of the episodes because a) there are only so many times that I can write Juleka creepily listening to everybody’s conversations and b) I have other plans for this story muahaha.
> 
> That being said, if there’s an episode you just need to see done from Juleka’s POV with a burning passion, or you just wanna say hi, drop me a message via my tumblr @[secretlyalya](http://secretlyalya.tumblr.com/).
> 
>  
> 
> Next on Powers of Invisibility: It takes a village to make a hat...


	3. Mad as a Hatter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juleka submits to peer pressure and a hat competition.

The art room was empty and quiet, just the way Juleka liked it. She sat in her usual spot, drinking in the silence, enjoying the solitude, and staring at the sketch in front of her, trying to figure out exactly why she didn’t like it.

It was a sketch of the cherry blossom tree in Master Fu’s garden as it had looked in March when it had just begun to bloom. The image in Juleka’s mind was vivid and fresh, despite the fact that the tree was devoid of blooms now. So, there was no reason why the sketch wouldn’t come out right. Juleka couldn’t even pinpoint what made it feel wrong deep inside. She fiddled with the shading of one of the newly opened blossoms. She tried to reshape a knot on the trunk. But try as she might, she just couldn’t dredge up any amount of enthusiasm for the sketch.

Juleka sighed in annoyance and flipped to a new page in her sketchbook. Maybe a fresh page, a fresh image, would sooth the discontent Juleka felt inside, like an itch she just couldn’t get to. A fresh page. A fresh image.

Juleka placed her pencil on the pad, ditching an attempt at realism and emptying her mind. Precise lines and painstaking adherence to an idea weren’t what she needed right now. So Juleka let out a deep breath and allowed her hand to draw forth whatever image it felt like creating, falling into the gentle rhythm of her art.

The first lines were gentle curves, soft and long. Soaring upwards and back down, out and around. Juleka didn’t really know what they were forming and she didn’t really care. But then it clicked and Juleka realized that she was looking at a hat.

A derby hat.

Juleka let out a groan. She was not going to compete, she _wasn’t_.

Rose had been encouraging Juleka to make a hat for the competition all morning, but Juleka hated having to work with time limits and she hated competitions. So, she’d spent all morning dodging Rose’s not-so-subtle attempts to get her to do it. Every time Rose saw her, she’d perk up and do that thing where she’d beam up at Juleka as if she was a puppy she’d gotten for Christmas (which Juleka was particularly susceptible to and Rose freaking knew it) and then she’d say something along the lines of “you should make a hat” and then Juleka would say something along the lines of “no.”

Rinse and repeat.

To make matters worse, that wasn’t the only thing had been plaguing her for most of the day. A cold lump sank in Juleka’s stomach as she thought about what she’d seen that morning. Chloe and Sabrina lurking, whispering as they stared across the courtyard at Marinette. She’d felt then, as she felt now, that Chloe was up to something. Something bad. She couldn’t shake it, her thoughts drifting to it over and over. But she had no proof that something was going to happen…

Juleka refused to continue thinking about the competition and she refused to make a hat. She glared at the image forming underneath her pencil. She _refused_.

But her hand kept moving.

She added more lines to the shape, curves growing stronger and more confident now, more recognizable as a derby. Juleka shifted her focus, adding sharper angles, webs of lines forming...gears? Yes, Juleka liked the look of those. Gears interlocking around the base, little ones, bigger ones, fitting together in similar shapes, but each with their own identity. She shaded them carefully, giving each its own hue despite the monotone color palette. Juleka moved on from the gears, her pencil skimming over the dome of the hat, turning blank canvas into metal plating, bolts and seams puncturing the smooth curves. She imagined the dark bronzy tone it'd be if the sketch were in color. She added buckles on overlapping leather straps, more gears. She turned to the side of the hat. Every good derby had a nice feather on the side. Juleka's hand flew in quick, jerky movements, the pencil sketching a burst of bold metal feathers, almost skeletal looking with their thin, spaced barbs. She imagined tarnished silver, bright bronze, iron, gold.

Eventually, Juleka's hand slowed to a stop. She looked over her sketch, taking in the dinstinctly steampunk creation. She decided that the buckles might be a bit much... but she also kind of liked them. She really liked the gears and she loved the metallic feathers. In fact, she loved the entire thing. She loved this hat.

She wanted to make this hat.

She wanted this hat to win.

Just as it had taken her a moment to realize she was drawing a hat in the first place, it took Juleka a moment to realize that she had decided to not only create the hat, but also to enter it in the competition.

It was insanity, making such a decision. She'd already spent half of the time allotment vowing that she wouldn't be entering the competition. In the five hours remaining until the deadline, Juleka would have to gather the materials, create the hat itself, and put together the myriad details she'd put into the sketch. The last two, while difficult, Juleka wasn't extremely worried about. But the materials? The hat was entirely metal. Where was she supposed to get two dozen gears on _her_ budget?

Juleka eyed the sketch with a practical eye and immediately discarded the bronze plating she'd sketched on the bowl of the hat. She'd really liked that part, but there was no way she'd be able to create that effect in the time allowed, completely ignoring her limited funds. For she already knew that none of these things would be stocked in the art room.

It was insanity.

Juleka pulled out her phone, snapped a picture of her sketch, and opened her messaging app, sending the photo along with three letters.

**Juleka:** _SOS_

She received a response seconds later.

**Nathanaël:** _Do u remember that junk yard I went to for my sculpture class?_

**Juleka:** _Yeah?_

**Nathanaël:** _Meet u there in 20_

 

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“Okay, what’s with the birds?” Nathanaël asked, his face bemused as he trotted up to Juleka, doing his best not to step on a pigeon. Juleka’s section of the sidewalk was bird free due to her nervous pacing. She was waiting in front of a sign that read “Bertrand’s Junk Yard” and doing her absolute best to not make eye contact with anyone, a task made easy for the very distracting pigeon occupation in progress.

“Don’t know,” Juleka said shortly, stopping in her tracks. “Are you sure I can get what I need here?” she asked. She had only decided to enter this competition twenty minutes ago, but she was anxious to get going.

“Maybe not everything, but a lot of it,” Nathanaël said, passing Juleka and heading straight for the gate. Juleka followed, one hand holding her elbow. “I didn’t think that stupid mecha sculpture assignment would ever come in handy again, but…” Nathanaël opened the gate and held it for Juleka, then moved ahead, speed walking past stacks of rusted metal.

On any other day, Juleka might have been enchanted. She would have seen potential in the piles of discarded treasures, waiting to be found. Now, she was overwhelmed and despaired of finding anything worth using. She had no time to hunt for discarded treasures.

“Are we really allowed to just walk in and take stuff?” Juleka asked. Nathanaël grinned at her over his shoulder.

“I spent a lot of time here during that project,” Nathanaël said, taking a sharp right at an opening in the piles, leading them deeper into the yard. “The owner, her name’s Tara, she’s really nice. Whenever she had spare time, she’d come out and help me look for stuff. Ah, here it is,” Nathanaël said, stopping in front of a small building and gesturing to it proudly.

Juleka tried to keep her expression straight because Nathanaël was obviously very happy with himself. But the sad truth was that the building was more of a shack, its walls weather beaten, its door stained with _something_ , and its roof looking a little saggy. She glanced at him, then back at the shack. The pigeon perched on top of it eyed them warily.

“That is…a very nice shack?” Juleka asked, looking at Nathanaël through her bangs. He chuckled, shaking his head.

“Come on,” he said, waving for Juleka to follow him as if she hadn’t been following him for the last few minutes. Nathanaël pulled a key out of his pocket and unlocked the door to the building, stepping aside and sweeping his arm out in a grand dramatic gesture. Juleka shook her head, but allowed him his drama and stepped past him into the shack.

At first, she couldn’t make anything out in the pervasive darkness of the building, the light spilling in the door not doing much to brighten the interior. She decided that the building must be bigger than she’d thought. Then Nathanaël flipped a light switch and Juleka gasped.

The building was stuffed full of little treasures. There were buckets of mechanical gismos, bits and pieces that once belonged to larger gadgets, that used to have functions. There was a stack of clocks on one table, an assortment of chipped tea cups on another. Whole sets of unmatched dishes and silverware, broken statues, ripped canvases, useless memories. There were trunks and boxes and buckets and bags. Tarnished and broken jewelry. Yellowed and torn books and papers. It seemed like someone was trying to establish some sort of organization in the space, but that person was surely failing because this room was beautiful chaos.

Even in her state of rushed anxiety, Juleka stopped to admire this.

“This is Tara’s Room of Requirement,” Nathanaël said, standing next to Juleka, beaming. “I was coming here for weeks before she let me in.”

“I can see why,” Juleka said, still trying to take in the sheer amount of stuff the room held.

“I believe you’ll find what you need over here,” Nathanaël said, walking over to a large wooden tub. Juleka raised a quizzical eyebrow and followed, a smile spreading across her face as she saw its contents: hundreds of gears of all shapes, sizes, and metals. She looked up at Nathanaël, returning his proud smile.

“You are a god, Nathanaël,” Juleka said, dropping to her knees in front of the tub to begin looking for the gears she wanted for her hat. Nathanaël nodded sagely.

“I know,” he said. “I accept offerings on Wednesdays and Saturdays.” Juleka spared him a glance, amused. He was slightly different here. He stood a little taller, he made jokes, he talked more, smiled more.

_He has confidence here_ , Juleka realized. She wondered just how much time Nathanaël had spent here. She forced her mind back to gears. She could ponder her friend’s emotional state later. Nathanaël leaned against a table, pulling out his phone. The air was filled with the clinking of gears and the cooing of pigeons.

“You know this is insane, right?” Nathanaël asked, breaking the silence. Juleka glanced up at him to see that he was holding out the picture she’d sent him of her design. Juleka’s eyes rested on the image for a moment before she returned to sorting through gears.

“Yeah,” Juleka said, examining a thick bronze gear for a moment before deciding it was too heavy for the hat.

“But you’re going to do it anyways,” Nathanaël stated.

“If it helps, I’m not going to try for the plating,” Juleka said, setting aside a larger gear that was rather light despite its size. It looked like it was iron even though it was much too light for that and was slightly tarnished, giving it a little character. It didn’t fit into her original design, but she accepted at this point that she was going to have to settle for some changes.

“It does,” Nathanaël said. He slipped his phone into his pocket and stood up, brushing his hands across his jeans to displace any dust or dirt. He collected the gears that Juleka had set aside and dumped them in an empty bucket, moving it closer to Juleka so that she could collect her materials. Juleka gave him a nod of thanks.

“What else do you need?” Nathanaël asked. Juleka looked around the room, at a loss. She knew what she had in her design and she’d been thinking about how to turn penciled lines into reality, but she didn’t have time for most of her solutions. Not for those metal feathers anyway.

“Look around for anything that looks…I don’t know, steampunk?” Juleka said, looking up at Nathanaël to see if that made sense. Nathanaël nodded, already scanning the room for possible materials. “Stick to iron colors if you can,” Juleka added, her eyes falling to the large gear she’d set aside. If she couldn’t get her feathers, perhaps that gear could make a nice focal point…

Juleka returned to sorting gears, combing through the pile of metal, trying to find smaller and smaller ones, a new image forming in her mind stronger and stronger with each find. Not the original design anymore. Not even all that close if she was being honest. But she still liked it.

Finally, Juleka was satisfied with her pile of gears and turned to see what Nathanaël had found. He was in the middle of digging through a trunk at the back, but there was a new pile of items on the table nearest her. Juleka started looking through it. Gizmos, leather straps, a small pocket watch that had lost its cover, a few other odds and ends. Juleka took the pocket watch and carefully placed it in the bucket. She eyed the leather straps but decided they no longer fit the colors of her design.

“Hey, Nathanaël,” Juleka said, intending to ask him where he’d found the pocket watch. However, when he straightened from the trunk he was looking through, he was holding a pair of opera glasses. “ _Those_ ,” Juleka said, carefully picking her way past a few buckets to take the glasses from him. The handle that was supposed to be used to hold them was broken, but Juleka didn’t care. The glasses, black lensed and rimmed in what looked like silver, were thinner than normal opera glasses. They were also perfect.

Juleka glanced back down into the trunk, spotting some lacy handkerchiefs. She took several of them, wrapping the glasses in them as she returned to her bucket of supplies. She wrapped the pocket watch too, just in case. She stared at her bucket, then took another look around the room. What else might she need?

Nathanaël came to stand by her, also looking around the room. They locked eyes and he raised his eyebrow in a wordless question. Juleka sucked in a deep breath and let it out. She nodded slowly. This was enough. Juleka picked up the bucket and they left the Room of Requirement. She was a little sad when Nathanaël closed and locked the door behind them. She’d have to see if she could return here again sometime. Already she had a mind whirring with ideas.

Nathanaël led the way out of the junk yard. It seemed like there were fewer birds now, but Juleka didn’t really pay attention unless one was in her path. She was busy thinking of her next steps. She’d have to make the actual hat, find a way to attach the gears, see what she could do with those opera glasses…

They paused outside the gate, Juleka returning to herself for a moment as they stepped out of the tarnished world they had inhabited for- Juleka checked her phone and let out a sigh- nearly an hour. She turned to Nathanaël, who stood regarding her with his hands in his pockets.

“Thank you,” Juleka said. Nathanaël smiled back at her shyly, back to the person she knew now that he stood out of the bounds of his junk yard. “I couldn’t have done this without you.” Nathanaël smiled and shook his head.

“You would have figured it out,” Nathanaël said. “I’ll see you later.” Juleka waved at him as they turned in opposite directions.

At that moment, Juleka’s phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out, looking at the text she had received.

**Rose:** _Whatcha doin’? <3_

Juleka narrowed her eyes at the message. It wasn’t completely unheard of for Rose to send her such messages. However, Rose tended to leave her alone during art time, which as far as she knew was what Juleka was doing at the moment.

**Juleka:** _Why do I get the feeling that you know what I’m doing?_

**Rose:** _Why whatever do you mean? <3 <3 <3_

**Juleka:** _Nath ratted me out didn’t he?_

**Rose:** _Now Juleka you know we only have your best interests at heart <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3_

Juleka couldn’t help but smile. The more hearts Rose sent, the less innocent she was. Juleka glanced up as she crossed the street, narrowly avoiding a collision with a pigeon (seriously, what was with them?). She looked back down at her phone, typing quickly with her free hand.

**Juleka:** _Sigh._

**Rose:** _< 3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3_

**Juleka:** _I’m working on a hat_

**Rose:** _YAAAY_  
**Rose:** _Do you want any help?_  
**Rose:** _Are you allowed to have help?_  
**Rose:** _Would I be in the way? Should I stay away?_  
**Rose:** _Or do you want moral support?_  
**Rose:** _I made cupcakes <3 <3 <3 <3_

**Juleka:** _Breathe Rose_  
**Juleka:** _No, idk, no, no, yes, bring them with you. I’ll be in the art room_

**Rose:** _< 3_

Juleka walked down the sidewalk, her bucket bumping against her leg, a small smile leaking onto her face. Her time was still running out. Her design was still in the process of forming. There was still anxiety pecking at her heart like that pigeon was pecking at that woman’s hair. But now, Juleka had a chance. She picked up her pace and continued towards the school.

 

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The last couple of hours had been stressful. Only Rose’s constant babble of encouragement and whatever else came into her head (most notably a lecture on the hidden cuteness of pigeons) and Rose’s cupcakes kept Juleka going. She put together the hat at top speed, sewing, shining, arranging, staring in despair, and gluing up a frenzy. With twenty minutes left, Juleka finally put down the hot glue gun, staring at her creation.

“Is... is it done?” Rose asked, breaking off whatever she’d been talking about at the soft thunk of the glue gun. She came over to stand by Juleka, her gaze darting between the hat and its creator.

“It’s done,” Juleka confirmed, allowing a small smile to curve across her face. Rose let out a whoop, throwing her arms in the air in celebration. She looked down at Juleka’s hat with awe shining out of her eyes.

“It’s beautiful,” Rose said, her voice reverent. Juleka didn’t know about beautiful, but she was rather pleased with what she had managed to turn out. The large gear had ended up as the focal point with the opera glasses sitting in its shadow on the front of the hat. The assortment of gears, as well as some metal disks and the lone pocket watch, started large underneath the focal gear, then tapered off, growing smaller as they circled the base of the hat. It wasn’t her original design, but Juleka still liked the final product.

“Come on, Juleka,” Rose cried, snapping Juleka out of her regard for her hat as she tugged on her arm. “Let’s go show it off!” Juleka chuckled at her friend’s enthusiasm for her creation, but slipped off of her stool, carefully picking up the hat. They left the art room, proceeding downstairs where the judging was to take place.

A semicircle of purple podiums stood waiting for the hats to arrive. It seemed that none of the other competitors had shown up yet, but a few people had gathered to watch the judging and were chatting amongst themselves. Alya stood beside a podium in the center of the semicircle, obviously claiming it for Marinette. Rose bounded forward, leading Juleka to the first podium on the right. Juleka cringed a little inside, but followed her friend’s wishes and placed the hat on the podium. She hoped against hope that the judging would start on the other side of the semicircle.

It wasn’t long before another hat showed up. Juleka wasn’t too surprised to see Kim and Max walk in, Max carefully holding a derby hat. They were competitive people by nature if not overly passionate about design. It was a nice hat with a white band and a spray of what looked like sunflowers. Simple, but classy. Juleka met their eyes as they surveyed their competition. Juleka gave them a hesitant nod. Both boys nodded back. They chose the first podium on the left.

The next competitor to arrive was Chloe, Sabrina in tow. Juleka was completely unsurprised to see her. The same cold feeling from earlier dropped in Juleka’s stomach as she watched Chloe flounce into the room, her nose in the air. Sabrina carried a plain white hatbox. Juleka didn’t know what Chloe was going to do, but she was certain that she was going to do _something_. Juleka’s eyes shifted to Alya who kept checking her phone worriedly. Juleka hoped that she hadn’t already done it.

Juleka’s eyes shifted back to Chloe as she dramatically whipped her hat out of its box. It was…beautiful. Black feathers glistened across top, gold embroidery flowed across the band, and a jaunty feather poked off of the side. It was well put together, imaginative, unique, ironically fitted to the day’s strange events (honestly what kind of villain uses _pigeons_ ), and all around a work of art. All of those combined to tell Juleka one thing:

It could not possibly be Chloe’s.

Juleka could admit that Chloe wasn’t a terrible designer, but she really only created mainstream designs. She mimicked. Juleka had never seen Chloe design anything that hadn’t already graced a runway in some form or fashion. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. If someone was looking to cash in, it would be useful. However, it meant that something as imaginative as that hat was not something Chloe was likely to create. There was also the quality of the hat. Chloe might be able to design, but she didn’t have the patience to create anything that good. Not a feather out of place, not a stitch out of line. It reminded Juleka more of something Marinette would create than…

_Oh, crap._

Juleka really, really hoped she was wrong this time.

She looked over at Alya, who had her phone to her ear. She glanced over at the doors hoping to see Marinette walk in. Instead she saw a woman in a business suit approaching Mr. Damocles, Adrien, and Nino. Then she saw her hold up a tablet with Gabriel Agreste’s face staring out of the screen.

_Crap, crap, crap._

“Juleka, you okay?” Rose asked, picking up on her nervousness. Juleka looked down at her, unable to clamp down on the dread in her stomach. Rose continued to look back at her, her eyes wide with concern. She laid a hand on Juleka’s arm.

“I think-” Juleka began, but stopped as she realized that the judging party had begun to move.

Towards _her._

_Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap._

“As you’ll see, Mr. Agreste, our students have poured their hearts and souls into their projects,” Mr. Damocles said, as they came to stand by her hat. Juleka tried to look calm, resting her hand on her hip in the closest approximation of calm she could manage.

Juleka breathed a little easier as she saw Marinette dash in with a pink hat box. She forced her attention back to the rectangle of screen that was currently picking over her work. She found a reason to find it hard to breathe again.

Gabriel Agreste was a fashion icon. He was skilled, relentless, world renowned for his “discipline” and his “devotion” to his work. Juleka knew now that people said these things of him not just because they were true, but also because Gabriel Agreste was an incredibly cold man. She could see it in the set of his brows, the subtle lines of displeasure creasing his skin, the slight frown that looked like it lived on his face, even the severe cut of his shirt, buttoned close to his neck. He was a fashion icon and he was made of ice and he was staring at something Juleka had made.

Juleka watched with baited breath as Gabriel Agreste’s eyes flicked across her hat. Luckily, or unluckily depending on how you interpreted it, he didn’t spend too much time looking at it.

“Very nice,” Gabriel Agreste said. Juleka stared down at him, vaguely surprised. “The base looks a little sloppy, but the placement of the gears was well done.” Juleka could only nod her thanks. With that it was over. They moved on. Juleka breathed freely again. Rose clutched her arm.

“He said it was nice!” Rose whispered excitedly. Juleka nodded again, still a little shocked. _Gabriel Agreste said my hat was nice_ , Juleka thought to herself. Then, as she heard Chloe’s annoying voice address the judging party, she remembered why she had been worried originally. She looked around to see what Marinette had brought.

Juleka hated being right sometimes.

Sitting on Marinette’s podium, bookended by two angry looking girls, was a hat identical in every respect to Chloe’s. Juleka had no doubt in her mind as to who had actually created the design. She didn’t think Marinette had a deceitful bone in her body. Chloe on the other hand…

Juleka knew a little too much about  _her_ deceit.

The judging party began to move on to Marinette’s design and Juleka tried to still the panic in her mind. Panicking would not help Marinette. Juleka had no proof that Chloe had copied the design, but she could still tell them what she’d seen, what she’d felt, what she’d thought of Chloe’s hat when she first saw it. She doubted that she’d be able to do much good, but she had to try.

Juleka could tell the moment Gabriel Agreste realized that the hats were the same. The suited woman moved the tablet back towards Chloe’s design. Juleka steeled herself to speak when Chloe accused _Marinette_ of copying her design and began dramatically sobbing into her podium. Juleka used her outrage to gather courage, opened her mouth-

“I apologize for the situation, Mr. Agreste,” Marinette said, forestalling Juleka’s defense, her voice calm and confident. Juleka’s worry faded a little. Marinette was remarkably put together for someone who was being accused of stealing a design that _she_ had created.

_She must have something up her sleeve_ , Juleka realized.

“But I can prove that this derby hat is _my_ original design,” Marinette said.

“Go ahead,” Gabriel Agreste said, his voice betraying nothing.

“Um, everything on my derby hat is hand-made. From the embroidery, to the weaving of the band, to the stitching of the brim. All done by myself,” Marinette said, holding up her hat for Gabriel Agreste’s inspection. Juleka nodded as Marinette spoke. Where the perfection of Chloe’s hat was suspicious, the care put into Marinette’s was not only obvious, but typical of her work. “And last there’s a special design element that only the true designer knows about.

“I signed mine.”

Juleka loved being right sometimes.

Marinette turned her hat over and gestured to the embroidery. Even from a few feet away, Juleka could make out Marinette’s name sewn into the band. It was clever and worked into the embroidery so seamlessly that you only saw it if you were looking for it. Juleka was impressed. They were barely teenagers and this girl was already a top tier designer and seamstress.

Marinette had won, in more ways than one, and Chloe knew it. She knocked over her podium and the hat rolled to Juleka’s feet. Marinette’s name gleamed up at her. Chloe ran from the courtyard, crying for her father.

Juleka couldn’t really find it in herself to feel sorry for her.

But she still stared after her even after she was gone.

Juleka turned her attention back to the knot of people around Marinette’s hat in time to hear Gabriel Agreste pronounce, “Congratulations on your demonstration, Miss Marinette. You’re the winner.” Juleka smiled as Marinette thanked the screen. She wasn’t surprised. Marinette deserved it.

She continued to smile as Adrien touched Marinette’s hands as he congratulated her and she blushed.

“I’m sorry, Juleka,” Rose said from beside her. Juleka finally looked down. Rose stood there, her head hanging, her face arranged in a pout. “I’m sorry you didn’t win.”

“I’m not,” Juleka said. Rose looked up at her, her eyes widening, shiny with unshed tears.

“You’re not?” Rose asked, sniffling a little. Juleka shook her head, taking a leftover black handkerchief out of her pocket and handing it to Rose.

“Nope. Gabriel Agreste said that my hat was very nice,” Juleka said, smiling as her friend wiped her face. “And I had fun.” Rose smiled up at her, gathering her hands to her chest, still clutching the handkerchief. They both jumped at the sound of a large sneeze. Juleka looked around to see Adrien rubbing his nose. He held up his hand to Marinette who was looking at him with wide eyes

“Sorry, I’m allergic to feathers,” he said ruefully, before sneezing again. Marinette actually managed to say “gesundheit” without stuttering, a smile spreading across her face.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Rose said, bringing Juleka’s gaze back to her. The girl smiled up at her, her eyes dry now. Then her face turned fierce. Well, as fierce as Rose’s face ever got. “But Gabriel Agreste doesn’t know what he’s missing. And Marinette- well, Marinette’s hat was very good too. Everyone had really good hats. Except for Chloe. Chloe’s hat was not a good hat. I mean it _was_ a good hat because it was Marinette’s hat but because it was Chloe’s Marinette’s hat it wasn’t a good hat. But I still think yours was the best. Not to put anyone else’s _down_ , I mean, but-” Juleka cut off her babbling friend with a laugh. Rose’s eyes widened at the rare sight of Juleka laughing out loud, then she began to laugh too.

“Let’s go, Rose,” Juleka said, picking up her hat and starting towards the door, still chuckling a little. Rose fell into step beside her.

“What’s for dinner tonight?” Juleka asked. Rose smiled up at her before bouncing up the stairs to look down at her.

“Lucas asked for breakfast for dinner tonight,” Rose said, bouncing on her toes at the top of the stairs. Juleka smiled _up_ at her for once.

“I love it when your mother makes breakfast for dinner,” she said.

“Yeah, so do I.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is not my favorite so congratulations! You'll be getting an update sooner than normal. Look forward to an update tomorrow.
> 
> Next on Powers of Invisibility: they're _running_ out of _time_.


	4. Out of Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juleka discovers the excitement of racing, learns some surprising things, and experiences some heartbreak.

The sun was high over the Trocadero and the wind was nonexistent. It was hot. Really hot. Juleka sighed, wishing that summer would just give up already so that they’d be able to move on to fall and cooler weather. She was a fall person through and through. Normally, she wouldn’t even be out in the hot sun at this time of day and she certainly wouldn’t be standing there just waiting for her skin to burn.

But Rose had wanted her to come so badly.

Juleka had to admit, looking around at her friends, all of them talking and laughing, that it was kind of fun. Their excitement was contagious. She glanced over at Rose, who was looking up at Ivan with a wide smile on her face. She started giggling at whatever Mylene said next, her hand flying up to cover her mouth. She looked beautiful today. Of course, she looked beautiful every day.

“Who are you rooting for?” a voice asked from beside Juleka. Juleka looked down in surprise. Standing in front of her was Sabrina. Juleka and Sabrina had been attending the same school for a long time, but Sabrina had been Chloe’s friend (if you could call servitude friendship) pretty much since the beginning. Chloe never paid any attention to Juleka. Sabrina did the same.

Juleka wondered if Sabrina even knew why.

But here she was, looking up at Juleka with a smile on her face.

“Alix,” Juleka said at last. “You?”

“Oh, we’re cheering for Kim,” Sabrina said brightly, clutching a book in her hands. “Chloe doesn’t really like Alix, so…” Sabrina trailed off, glancing over at Chloe where she stood talking to Adrien and Nathanaël. Well, she was talking to Adrien who happened to also be talking to Nathanaël. Juleka watched Sabrina with interest. She always seemed so nice until she was standing next to Chloe.

“They’re both pretty fast,” Juleka said. Sabrina perked up, nodding in agreement, her ginger hair bouncing on either side of her face.

“They really are,” Sabrina said. “But Chloe says that Alix’s short little legs won’t get her anywhere.” Juleka tilted her head, regarding the short girl in front of her.

“What do _you_ think?” Juleka asked. Sabrina didn’t answer, looking up at Juleka in surprise. As if she wasn’t used to having an opinion. Juleka sighed, reaching out and touching Sabrina’s shoulder tentatively, her other hand staying on her hip. The shorter girl looked up at Juleka, still unsure of herself. “Well, I just want Kim’s stupid dares to stop. I’m tired of being dragged into chaos because he was feeling competitive.” Sabrina giggled a little at that. Juleka heard pounding footsteps and glanced up to see Marinette pelting towards them.

Juleka moved away from Sabrina then, stepping up next to Rose and Nathanaël to see what Marinette had made for the race. She was completely unsurprised to see Marinette unroll a cute, well-sewn banner depicting Alix and Kim and their chosen methods of racing, rollerblading and running. She smiled along with the others at Marinette’s creation and chuckled when Marinette giggled at Adrien’s compliment.

“You all picked the wrong side to cheer on. Looks like Alix isn’t even showing up,” Kim said, standing to the left with Max. Juleka turned towards him, unimpressed. It was true that Alix wasn’t there yet, but she seriously doubted that Alix would dare miss this. She’d never live it down. “Probably too chicken to race an extreme athlete like me.” Juleka also seriously doubted that Alix was too chicken to do anything.

“Spoke too soon, Kim,” Alix said. Everyone cheered as she skated up right on cue, pink hair glinting in the unforgiving sun. It was clear who the fan favorite was. Alix skated up to Kim, managing to get in his face despite the fact that she was at least a foot shorter than him.

“Your ridiculous bets are over,” Alix said, her trademark confidence rolling off of her in waves. “I’m gonna leave you in the dust, meathead.”

“You’re no match for me,” Kim spat back, almost nose to nose with Alix. “My neck is bigger than your thigh.”

“Let’s review the official rules,” Max said, pushing between the two athletes and pushing up his glasses. “Two laps around the fountains, approximately five hundred yards. The first one over the lines declared the victor.” They all edged closer to the edge of the impromptu track as Alix and Kim stepped up to the starting line. Juleka could feel the tension begin to build as Max described the stakes. She felt Rose bouncing on her toes next to her. She felt herself begin to get excited as well.

“If Kim triumphs,” Max continued, looking sternly at the two competitors. “Alix will relinquish her rollerblades to him. If Alix triumphs, Kim will be prohibited to make another dare for the rest of the school year.”

“We’re through with all of those stupid dares,” Juleka called, cupping her hands around her mouth to project her voice. She was a little surprised at herself, but excited, adrenaline rushing through her as though _she_ were the one racing.

“Uh-huh, that’s right,” Ivan called from behind her.

“No more dares,” Nathanaël called from her left. She turned her head to see her shy friend pump his fist in the air. She smiled. She wasn’t the only one more riled up than usual. She turned her head back to the race when Max began to speak again.

“On your marks,” Max said, holding out his arms. Alix and Kim got into position, Alix crouching a little, Kim with his hands touching the ground, his knees bent. Rose’s hand flew up to clutch Juleka’s arm in excitement.

“Get set,” Max said, his arms moving over his head. Alix stayed crouched, her body tensing in preparation. Kim’s legs straightened, thrusting his butt into the air. He looked ridiculous, but his face was set, his muscles tensed. He was ready. The tension peaked. It was time. Max drew in breath to release the coiled athletes-

“Hold up!” Alix cried, straightening out of her crouch and holding up her hand to forestall the green light from Max. Kim was so ready to bolt that he lurched forward and faceplanted, his butt still in the air. Juleka laughed along with the rest of the class in order to release the built up tension. Rose’s hand slipped off of her arm as she giggled beside her. All in all, Juleka was a little disappointed.

“Forfeiting already?” Kim asked smugly as Alix skated away from him. Juleka raised an eyebrow at the boy, who was still on his hands and knees on the ground, and wondered what part of the proceedings thus far had him feeling smug.

“Hold onto this for me, will you, Alya?” Alix said, depositing something silvery in Alya’s palm. She started to move away, speaking over her shoulder. “I don’t want to drop it during the race.”

“Hold on, girl, I can’t,” Alya protested, staring at the object in her hand. Juleka couldn’t see exactly what it was, but it was round and shiny. “I gotta-”

“Guard it with your life. It’s a family heirloom,” Alix said, cutting Alya off and closing her hands over the object before skating back into place.

“But-” Alya protested again, but Alix was already back in place at the starting line. Juleka watched as Alya handed the object over to Marinette, unease settling in her stomach. However, at that moment, Max began counting down again and Juleka turned her attention back to the race. Marinette was trustworthy. Alix’s family heirloom would be fine.

Right?

“On your marks,” Max said. Once again, Alix and Kim settled into their positions. Rollerblades at the ready, feet braced in a runner’s stance.

“Get set,” Max said, arms rising above his head once more. The competitors tensed, excitement building back up in the crowd.

“Go!” Max cried. Both athletes shot off as Max’s arms fell. Juleka cheered, adding her voice to the roar that went up from her classmates. Kim took an early lead, Alix needing to build up momentum in her blades.

“Come on, Alix,” Juleka called, cupping her hands around her mouth again.

“You can do it,” Rose cried, jumping up and down, waving her arms, even though the athletes couldn’t see them now, both speeding away down the fountain. Their distance didn’t decrease Juleka’s excitement. She continued to watch them with baited breath, marveling at their speed as they rounded the corner of the fountain, so far away, and started back. Alix had pulled ahead on their way downhill, but lost her lead as they returned. When they passed the starting line, the two were neck and neck.

“I believe in you, Alix,” Rose cried waving again as the girl sped past. She smiled up at Juleka, both of them bouncing a little in excitement. Juleka laughed and Rose laughed back.

“Last lap,” Max announced as Alix and Kim started back down. It was nerve-wracking watching them speed away, one moment neck and neck, the next one of them clearly ahead. At any moment, the outcome of the race seemed different. They were barreling back now, the end of this dare coming closer and closer. Alix sped ahead as they approached the corner, making a sharp turn and speeding towards the finish line with a solid lead. Juleka coiled, ready to cheer, when something small and round and shiny caught her gaze as it rolled across the finish line.

The sound of Alix’s rollerblade smashing the heirloom was clearly audible in the horrified silence that fell over the crowd.

Alix came to a stop on the other side of the finish line, blissfully ignorant for the moment of anything other than her victory. She pumped her fist as she turned, a smug smirk spreading across her face as she turned to Kim, ready to gloat.

Her entire face changed as she took in the metal littering their makeshift track. Her hands flew to her cheeks. Her mouth opened in a gasp. She rolled forwards, her shoulders slumped, breathing in what sounded like a sob.

“I call a rematch. That false start threw me off,” Kim said, slamming his hands on his hips, not noticing Alix’s dejection. At any time, Juleka would have rolled her eyes and marveled at his lameness. Now, she could only watch as Alix continued to roll slowly towards the remains of her family heirloom, as she fell to her knees, scooping up the pieces. She looked up at Alya, her gaze fierce despite the tears that gathered in her eyes.

“Did you do this?” she asked harshly, accusatory. Alya flinched.

“Uh, I had to videotape the race, so I gave it to Marinette, but then she had to hold the banner, so she gave it to Adrien, then Chloe snatched it from him and dropped it and, uh, then you skated over it,” Alya explained at top speed, ending on a tentative note, raising her phone in front of her as if it could protect her from Alix’s wrath.

“My old man gave me this for my birthday,” Alix said, getting to her feet, her face screwed up in anger as one tear rolled down her cheek. “This watch is totally a family heirloom,” Alix said, skating away with the pieces of the watch clutched to her chest.

“It was an accident,” Marinette cried. Juleka couldn’t look away from Alix’s hunched shoulders. She stopped, but her shoulders didn’t relax.

“We didn’t mean any harm, Alix,” Adrien said. Juleka knew that, accident or not, intended or not, the harm had been done. This wouldn’t soothe Alix’s anger now. It certainly wouldn’t soothe her sadness.

“As if. I totally had nothing to do with this,” Chloe said. Juleka sighed. _Wrong thing to say, Chloe_. Alix looked over her shoulder, her eyes narrowed, tears still streaming down her cheeks.

“You’re all to blame,” she said, before hanging her head and continuing to skate away.

They all stood there staring after Alix in stunned silence, watching as their friend grew farther and farther away. What had been an afternoon of fun and excitement had ended in tears.

None of them had ever seen her cry before.

Suddenly Marinette surged forward, running after Alix. It was a very Marinette thing to do. She was always running after those who were upset. Her motion broke the stunned paralysis that lay over the rest of them. They exchanged downcast glances. Rose looked up at Juleka with tears brimming in her own eyes. Juleka put an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close.

“I shouldn’t have given the watch to anyone else,” Alya said, her eyes on the ground. “She asked me to hold it and I didn’t. It’s all my fault.” Adrien moved over to her, placing his hand on her shoulder.

“It’s not your fault, Alya. We all should have been more careful,” Adrien said, looking down at Alya with sympathy in his eyes. After all, he had been involved too. “It won’t help anything to dwell on it now.”

“Maybe we can fix it,” Rose piped up, bouncing a little bit as hope filled her voice. Recognizing that as a signal that Rose was no longer in need of comfort, Juleka withdrew her arm, trying really hard not to wish that Rose had stayed sad for a little longer.

“Yeah, maybe we can,” Adrien said with a decisive nod of his head, shooting a smile at Rose. Nathanaël came over, the remaining pieces of the watch from the track in his hand.

“I know where we might be able to get some spare parts,” Nathanaël said. He grinned at Juleka. She gave him a small smile back.

“Does anyone know someone who can fix watches?” Adrien said, looking around. Chloe pushed her way into the circle that had formed.

“You said it yourself, Adrikins,” Chloe said, nasty as ever, her arms crossed over her chest. “It’s not our fault. Why should we bother with _her_?”

“Because she’s our friend and she’s upset,” Adrien said, frowning at Chloe. He deliberately turned away from her. “So, watch-”

“Adrikins!” Chloe whined, stomping her foot. Adrien sighed, turning his eyes back to Chloe.

“Chloe, I’m trying to help Alix. If you’re not going to help, you can go,” Adrien said, his voice firm. Juleka looked between the old friends, both of them sporting frowns. Chloe’s face collapsed into an annoyed pout.

“Fine,” Chloe said, turning away. “ _You_ spend your time on that little tomboy if you want. I’ll- I’ll-” Chloe trailed off as she stared over Adrien’s shoulder. Suddenly, Juleka heard the familiar sound of rollerblades. As one, the group looked up to see someone speeding towards them. Wrapped in a skintight green and black suit with a helmet covering the top half of her face, Juleka was pretty sure that this wasn’t just some random girl out for some skating in the sun. She was an akuma. And she was coming for _them_.

“Run!” Adrien cried. His voice sent all of them scattering, running in different directions. Juleka sprinted for cover, flying up the stairs and diving behind the low wall. She stayed there for a moment, catching her breath. She turned to look down at-

Rose.

_Where was Rose?_

Juleka had simply dashed when the akuma had shown up, assuming that Rose would follow her because that’s what Rose always did. But Juleka was crouching behind the wall alone. She had a straight shot up the remaining stairs and away from the Trocadero. She could get far away while the akuma (Juleka was pretty sure that it was Alix underneath that helmet) preyed on the classmates that remained. Juleka could get safe.

Juleka almost laughed at the idea. There was no way in hell she was leaving Rose behind.

Juleka cautiously poked her head over the low wall to see if she could spot Rose. She could see a couple people running away, Mylene, Alya, Chloe. She caught a glimpse of blond behind a tree and looked over hopefully, deflating when she saw Adrien peek around the trunk. Juleka couldn’t see Rose anywhere. She turned her attention to the akuma.

She was standing below talking to Kim and Marinette, a savage grin stretched across her face. Both Marinette and Kim stood in defensive stances. Well, Marinette’s was defensive. Kim’s was just kind of weird. He had his arms up, his mouth open, his feet… Kim was balanced on one foot, leaning forward at an impossible angle. Kim wasn’t defensive.

Kim was _frozen_.

Juleka watched, chest tightening, as Kim faded before her eyes.

Juleka needed to get to Rose, _fast_. But she couldn’t tear her eyes away from Marinette, who still stood talking to the akuma. What was she doing?

Juleka could only watch in horror as the akuma surged towards Marinette. Then she could only watch in _disbelief_ as the girl somehow managed to jump out of the way at the last second, narrowly avoiding the akuma’s touch. Marinette landed off to the side on one knee, still moving, so Juleka assumed that it must be the touch that froze. Marinette rose to a crouch as the akuma turned to make another pass. She made a break for the stairs, flinging the banner behind her at the akuma’s face. The maneuver shouldn’t have worked, but the banner wrapped around her head, causing her to trip and fly forwards while Marinette continued dashing up the stairs.

_What the hell?_

Juleka couldn’t believe her eyes. Marinette, the klutz queen, had just owned an akuma. An akuma that was already the fastest person in their class _before_ she received powers. And Marinette had casually evaded her, not a hint of fear in her gaze, just this strong determination, this focus.

Juleka watched Marinette run up the stairs towards her, still frozen with disbelief. Marinette pressed herself against the wall. Juleka was crouched right across from her, but she didn’t seem to notice, her eyes shifting from the floundering akuma to her purse. She opened it and out of it flew…a bug? Juleka didn’t know what it was, but if it was a bug, it was a huge bug, red and spotted. It whirled upwards towards Marinette and…

Juleka watched as Marinette was transformed into none other than Ladybug.

Marinette was Ladybug.

Ladybug was Marinette.

Juleka didn’t know how she would have reacted if she’d made this discovery at any other time. She thought that there would probably be a bit more screaming. Maybe a little hyperventilating. But right now, Juleka had other things to worry about. Things such as the angry akuma hunting down her classmates and hiding and finding her missing best friend and getting anywhere else.

Juleka was relieved when the akuma’s gaze stopped searching for Marinette, instead snapping up to Ladybug as she appeared high on the wall. The akuma turned and skated away, but Ladybug was having none of it. She flung out her yoyo, hitting the akuma and sending her sprawling.

“Time out, Timebreaker,” Ladybug called. Juleka looked up at her in disbelief. Really? Chat Noir, Juleka expected to make bad jokes, but Ladybug? Juleka’s turned her attention to the flattened Timebreaker. Her heart stopped.

There was Rose. Sweet, kind Rose. Rose, who could never turn away from someone in need. Rose, who looked to Juleka when she was shaking and scared.

There was Rose, slowly approaching Timebreaker, tentatively holding out her hand to the pitiful looking villain.

_No._

“No!” the scream tore out of Juleka’s throat, mingling with Ladybug’s, just as Timebreaker lunged forward and grasped Rose’s wrist. Rose’s face froze in an expression of surprise, her eyes wide, her mouth a perfect o.

She faded slowly.

At least it felt slow to Juleka, crouched behind a wall, watching helplessly as her best friend faded from existence. It was a cold pain, watching Rose slip away. Like frostbite. Ice growing in her chest, burning and numbing at the same time. Juleka registered that she wasn’t breathing. She didn’t care. Because Rose’s eyes, those wide blue eyes, they were fading and there wasn't anything she could do about it.

When Juleka could think again, she wondered how long that shocked face would haunt her. Already, that was what she saw when she closed her eyes, surprised blue eyes staring at nothing as they faded from existence.

When spots began to dance across Juleka's vision, she finally dragged in a breath.

_Rose…_

A quiet cry drew Juleka’s attention, distracting her from her despair. She looked up in time to see green light flash behind a tree. The tree Adrien was hiding behind. She watched as Chat Noir emerged from behind it.

Juleka was too numb to be surprised.

Adrien was Chat Noir.

Marinette was Ladybug.

Rose was gone.

Timebreaker was still flying around the Trocadero. Mylene was fading away. Alya was fading away. Sabrina, Chloe.

Ladybug was sprawled at Timebreaker’s feet.

Juleka’s only hope to see Rose again.

Timebreaker was reaching for her. Not even Ladybug could move away in time.

_No._

Just before Timebreaker touched her, Chat Noir was there. And then he too was fading.

Adrien was fading.

_Rose…_

Ladybug clutched at Chat Noir as he faded in her arms. Juleka knew exactly what she was feeling.

Then they were fighting again, Timebreaker reaching for Ladybug, Ladybug avoiding her lethal hands. Ladybug whirled and Timebreaker went flying. It looked like Ladybug outmatched Timebreaker. Maybe…

Timebreaker turned and skated away. Ladybug flung her yoyo, wrapping it around Timebreaker’s waist, but was only pulled after the powerful skater. Timebreaker flew up the stairs, skating faster and faster. Juleka watched, incredulity fighting past the intense numbness, as yellow light began to play around Timebreaker.

She watched as both Timebreaker and Ladybug abruptly disappeared.

 _Rose…_  

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“You can do it,” Rose cried, jumping up and down, waving her arms, even though the athletes couldn’t see them now, both speeding away down the fountain. Their distance didn’t decrease Juleka’s excitement. She continued to watch them with baited breath, marveling at their speed as they rounded the corner of the fountain, so far away, and started back. Alix had pulled ahead on their way down, but lost her lead as they returned. When they passed the starting line, the two were neck and neck.

“I believe in you, Alix,” Rose cried, waving again as the girl sped past. She smiled up at Juleka, both of them bouncing a little in excitement. Juleka laughed and Rose laughed back.

“Last lap,” Max announced as Alix and Kim started back down. It was nerve-wracking watching them speed away, one moment neck and neck, the next one of them clearly ahead. At any moment, the outcome of the race seemed different. They were barreling back now, the end of this dare coming closer and closer…

“Chloe, put the watch down!” a voice cried above them. Juleka looked up, startled. Her eyes widened as she saw a green and black figure falling towards them. And up on the high wall… was that Ladybug?

The figure landed in front of them on one knee. Her face was covered with a reflective helmet, her body wrapped in a skintight green and black suit, her feet sporting wheels. Juleka was pretty sure this was an akuma.

Juleka heard a gasp and a loud ping, like a coil springing loose and looked over to see Chloe’s empty hands and the remains of something round and silver on the ground in front of her. _Alix’s heirloom…_

“Nooooo!” the akuma cried, barely visible eyes locked on the metal fragments littering the ground. Why did this akuma care about Alix’s heirloom?

“Ladybug! This time it’s your fault,” the akuma cried, suddenly turning to glare up at Ladybug. _This time?_

Juleka heard the familiar sound of rollerblades and looked over to see Alix push through the crowd, staring down at the pieces of her heirloom. She stood there for a moment, just staring. Then Juleka saw her shoulders begin to shake.

“Ladybug,” Alix growled, her hands balling up into fists. “It’s all Ladybug’s fault.” Juleka watched her shake with anger, a little surprised at the strength of her anger and also at her assumption. The akuma was more at fault than Ladybug was.

“Everyone, get out of here!” Ladybug commanded. “Don’t let her touch you.” Juleka reached down and grasped Rose’s hand, pulling her along after her. Juleka sprinted away, not knowing quite what was going on, but knowing that it was much safer to let someone else stand around and hope for details later.

Juleka kept a tight hold on Rose’s hand as she ran. She couldn’t let herself be separated from her. She _couldn’t_. Juleka experienced a flash of surprise at her own vehemence. She pushed it away, focusing on where she was going. Away, away, they had to get away, they had to get _safe_. Juleka knew she wasn’t being logical, but she couldn’t stop, her feet pounding against pavement, the reassuring weight of Rose against her hand, still behind her, still there.

“J- Juleka,” Rose gasped. Juleka looked back, saw Rose stumbling behind her. She immediately slowed to a stop. They were far away from the Trocadero now. They probably could have stopped much earlier. Rose leaned over and put her hands on her knees, sucking in breath. Juleka was also gasping, though a little less than her shorter friend. She leaned against the wall, breathing deeply. Her mind was such a maelstrom of emotions and she didn’t understand _why_. Panic and fear, anticipation, _loss_ for some reason, but Juleka hadn’t lost anything. Rose’s breathing returned to normal and she straightened, but Juleka was still leaning against the wall, still trying to catch her breath.

“Juleka?” Rose asked, realizing that her breathing still hadn’t slowed. Juleka looked down at her friend, her chest heaving. “Oh, Juleka.” Rose stepped close and laid her hand on Juleka’s arm. Juleka turned to her and wrapped her arms around her. Rose brought her own arms up to hug her tightly. Rose stroked her back, murmuring to her.

“We’re okay, Juleka. You’re okay. I’m okay. We’re okay,” Rose said over and over. She stroked Juleka’s back until she could breathe again. Juleka allowed her arms to slide off of Rose’s neck. The emotions were still there, but most of them had faded.

“Are you alright?” Rose asked, her hand still resting on Juleka’s arm. Juleka nodded. Rose’s anxious face smoothed a bit, but the worry lingered. “What happened? You don’t normally get scared like that.”

“I don’t know,” Juleka said, staring down at Rose, her chest still tight, still feeling this incredible urge to hold onto her and never let go. “But I’m okay now.”

“Good,” Rose said, the worry dissolving in the face of a wide smile. “Let’s go. It’s too hot out here.” Juleka chuckled.

“You’re right about that,” Juleka said. Rose’s hand slipped from Juleka’s arm. Juleka mourned the absence for a moment. But then slender fingers wrapped around her hand. Juleka looked up at Rose. She was smiling at her, and blushed a little when their eyes met.

“Come on!” she cried, using Juleka’s hand to tug her along. “I want ice cream.”

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Much later, Juleka sat on her bed, reading Alya’s post about the day’s events on the Ladyblog. Most of the confusing emotions had faded, even the loss. Rose had helped the matter along considerably. The ice cream had helped too.

However, there was one emotion that lingered that Juleka just couldn’t shake.

She felt like she had forgotten something really important.

Juleka shrugged and returned her attention to Alya’s latest theory about Ladybug’s identity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next on Powers of Invisibility: Juleka puts together a puzzle.


	5. Puzzle Pieces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juleka puts together the puzzle and sees the full picture.

**Part One: Corners**

The soft light of afternoon spilled across Rose’s room, making everything lazy and warm. The room wasn’t large, just big enough for two girls to feel comfortable. Despite the lack of space, the room was filled wall to wall with Rose’s knick knacks. They rested on the dresser, the desk, competed with the books for space on the bookshelf, were pinned to the walls, piled on the floor. There were hundreds of little treasures. Stuffed animals, dried flowers, papers folded into origami figures, little statues, little poems, bottles and bottles of perfume, anything and everything. And a lot of them were pink. Juleka loved Rose’s room. It was so entirely Rose.

“You have to sit still,” Juleka said as Rose jerked _again_ , almost spilling bright pink nail polish all over her bedspread. The two girls were sitting on Rose’s bed as Juleka painted Rose’s nails. The offer had been selfless. Rose loved it when Juleka consented to paint her nails. However, now it was merely an excuse to hold her hand. Juleka held it still, firmly keeping her mind in check rather than letting herself get distracted by how soft Rose’s skin was. The last time she’d done that, Rose had ended up with white polish all over her fingers.

“But Juleka, did you see this?” Rose asked excitedly, turning her phone screen so that Juleka could see what she was looking at. Rose had the Ladyblog up and she was reading Alya’s report on Timebreaker. “Alya thinks that the akuma came back in time!” Rose exclaimed, not waiting for Juleka to read the article. Juleka nodded, returning her gaze to Rose’s delicate fingers and keeping a firm hold on her hand in case of gesturing.

“I’m not sure that’s the weirdest thing we’ve seen,” Juleka said as she carefully swiped color across Rose’s nails.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Rose said. She didn’t say anything more and Juleka assumed she’d gone back to her phone. She used the side of her nail to scrape off excess polish.

“I mean Paris got taken over by pigeons. Time travel may be awesome, but it just isn’t that crazy anymore,” Juleka said. She expected Rose to giggle, but was met with silence. Juleka glanced up at her. Rose’s face was somber as she looked down at her nails. “Rose?” Juleka asked.

“How are you never scared?” Rose asked quietly. Her gaze remained fixed on her nails. Juleka stared, abandoning Rose’s nails for the moment.

“What do you mean?” Juleka asked, genuinely baffled. Juleka was scared all the time. She was scared of answering questions wrong in class. She was scared to talk to people she didn’t know. She was scared of Rose getting made fun of. She was scared of Rose getting hit by a car. She was _really_ scared of Rose getting kidnapped walking home from school alone.

Basically, she was almost always scared for Rose.

Mostly because she was scared of what her life would be like without her.

“During akuma attacks, I’m always a scared, shaking mess. But you’re never afraid. You always get us to safety. I just slow you down,” Rose said, speaking to their hands. Juleka carefully put the nail polish brush back into its bottle. She shifted her fingers so that she was actually holding Rose’s hand rather than restraining it.

“You’re wrong,” Juleka said softly. Rose finally looked up, meeting Juleka’s eyes in surprise. “I’m always terrified during akuma attacks.”

“B- but,” Rose said, looking at Juleka with wide eyes. “But you always seem so calm.”

“You’re scared of akumas, right?” Juleka asked, daring to stroke the back of Rose’s hand with her thumb. Rose nodded a little. “Well, you’re right that I’m not scared of _them_. I think they’re awesome. Akumas are all ordinary people that have become larger than life. Looking at them, I feel like I’m in one of my books. I can’t be afraid when I’m looking at a story. That’s what akumas become in the end. A story on Alya’s blog.” Juleka reached for Rose’s other hand balled up in her lap. She gathered it in her own, coaxing tight fingers to relax.

“But I’m still scared when they attack us,” Juleka said. She kept her eyes on Rose’s hands. “Because I’m afraid that they’ll hurt you.” She risked a glance up at Rose’s face. Her eyes were even wider, her cheeks slightly pink, her lips slightly parted. Juleka looked back down quickly. It was so tempting to just lean forward…

“I’m scared, because they scare you,” Juleka said, her thumb still rubbing circles on Rose’s hand. “I’m calm because I want to stop you from being scared and keep you from being hurt and panicking can’t do that.” Juleka watched her thumb trace a tendon in Rose’s hand up to the knuckle and back down again.  She worried for a moment, as she sometimes did, that she had crossed the thin line between platonic and romantic. She worried that this time, Rose would finally see thorugh her and not like what she found in Juleka's heart.

Juleka fancied she could hear that stupid heart beating just a little too fast in the silence that settled in the room, betraying her yet again.

“Juleka?” Rose said, her voice quiet. Juleka could never refuse Rose, so she looked up from her hands to her eyes. Rose was glowing, a smile beaming out of her face, tears pooling in her eyes. Juleka was blinded by her, but she didn’t mind. Staring at the sun was worth it. Rose carefully removed her hands from Juleka’s grasp and placed her arms around her neck. Juleka leaned into the tight hug, warmth spilling into her stomach. “Thank you,” Rose whispered near Juleka’s ear. Juleka nodded against Rose’s shoulder.

Juleka was a little sad, same as always, when Rose shifted out of the embrace. However, Rose gave her back her hand with a bright smile. Juleka picked up Rose’s hand as she reached for the nail polish. Rose picked up her phone, returning to her crawl through the Ladyblog.

Just like that, they were back to the routine. Safe in platonic secrecy.

“Alya is such a great journalist,” Rose said as Juleka examined her already painted nails for damage. “I don’t think I’d be able to find out half the things she does.” Juleka resumed her painting, turning Rose’s hand to get her thumb.

“This post says that Chat Noir has allergies,” Rose said, pouting a little. “Poor Chat.”

“How did Alya find _that_ out?” Juleka asked. She looked over Rose’s nails. Satisfied, she reached for Rose’s other hand. Rose gingerly took her phone with her painted hand, surrendering her other to Juleka.

“She somehow managed to corner Ladybug after an akuma attack and asked Ladybug why Chat Noir was sneezing so much during the pigeon epidemic. Ladybug told her that he has allergies,” Rose replied. Juleka paused for a moment. Allergies that became evident during the pigeon epidemic…

“How rare are feather allergies?” Juleka asked thoughtfully, returning to her painting.

“I haven’t heard of many people that have them,” Rose said looking up from her phone. “Why?”

“I just know another boy who has an allergy to feathers,” Juleka said, shrugging. She gave Rose's nails one last swipe then capped the pink polish. She dug through her bag of polishes and came out with the bottle of white. Holding it up, she turned to Rose. “Flowers or lace?” she asked. Rose considered the life altering question for a moment.

“Flowers,” Rose decided. Juleka uncapped the white bottle, carefully lowering the much slimmer brush to Rose’s thumb. “But how is she always just _there_? Look at her most recent post, it’s so exciting,” Rose said, bouncing a little as she turned her phone towards Juleka.

“Rose, if you want this flower to look good…” Juleka said, not looking up. Rose giggled.

“Sorry,” Rose said. She was silent for about two seconds. “Okay, I’ll describe it to you.” Juleka chuckled, focusing on the small, delicate flowers she was painting on Rose’s nails. “The video starts with Alya and she’s wearing a plaid shirt with a white shirt under it and black glasses and her hair-”

“I know what Alya looks like,” Juleka said, chuckling as she glanced up at Rose. Rose blushed, but giggled along.

“Right. So it’s Alya and she’s saying hi and everything. She’s so good at that intro. She seems so confident, so professional. I _believe_ that she’s bringing me the Ladyblog,” Rose said, staring down at her phone screen in fascination.

“That’s because she is,” Juleka said, rounding off a tiny bloom on Rose’s pinky.

“Right,” Rose said. “Anyways, the next moment, a helicopter flies over with Ladybug dangling beneath it! You can hear this sort of shout as Ladybug flies by, kind of a _wooaaagh_ kind of a noise. It kind of sounds a little panicked, which you wouldn’t expect from Ladybug, but who else would be making that noise?”

“Not Alya,” Juleka agreed. She carefully blew on Rose’s nails to set the freshly painted flowers. The white dried really quickly, but Juleka was not about to risk all of those tiny flowers. Rose’s delightfully small hands meant small fingers. Wonderfully small fingers meant small nails. Small nails meant tiny nail art. Part of the reason Juleka enjoyed doing Rose’s nails was the challenge of painting that small.

“Exactly,” Rose said, her arms flying out. Luckily, Juleka had already deemed the first hand complete, only needing a clear coat to seal the deal. She glared up at Rose anyways, reaching out for her other hand. “So as Ladybug flies by, you see something drop. Alya goes and picks it up and it’s a book! What kind of book? A textbook! What kind of textbook? A tenth grade history textbook!” Juleka gave up on the flowers for a moment as Rose bounced in place, jostling Juleka as well.

“Why was Ladybug carrying around a textbook?” Juleka asked as Rose hummed excitedly.

“Because she goes to our school!” Rose exclaimed, her hands flying up to her chin. Juleka grabbed them, tugging at her fingers to keep them stretched out. “What if she’s in our class, Juleka?” Rose asked, her face turning dreamy.

“What kind of superhero just brings along their textbook when they’re off to save the city?” Juleka asked, deeming it safe to return to her work on the flowers.

“I wonder who she thinks this year’s OTP is,” Rose said, her eyes still lost in the clouds.

“I think Ladybug’s trying to throw Alya off the scent,” Juleka decided, adding one final line to a flower and eyeing the result.

“Why would Ladybug do that?” Rose asked with a gasp. Her free hand flew to her cheek.

“Why would she carry around a history textbook?” Juleka asked. She started on the final flower. “Who could be that clumsy?”

“People make mistakes,” Rose said. Juleka could hear the pout in her voice. “Marinette said she dropped her history book out a window the other day. It happens to everyone.” Juleka splayed out Rose’s fingers to evaluate her work.

“What do you think?” Juleka asked, gesturing to Rose’s fingers. Rose looked down, taking in Juleka’s work for the first time. She squealed.

“Oh, Juleka! They’re beautiful,” Rose sighed, admiring her flowers. She beamed up at Juleka. “Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome,” Juleka said, taking out the clear polish. “As thanks, you can let me practice on your face.” Rose giggled.

“Oh no! I have to be made beautiful! This is a harsh price for my nails being turned into works of art. Whatever shall I do?” Rose dramatically laid her free hand against her forehead.

“You’ll think of what you want me to put on your face,” Juleka said, chuckling at Rose’s antics. She finished slapping on the clear coat and stood, stretching her arms and back. She packed up her nail bag, exchanging it for her makeup kit.

“I want to match my nails,” Rose decided. Juleka nodded solemnly as she settled back down in front of her, setting out her brushes and sponges and dozens of little pots of makeup in all different shades.

“As you wish,” Juleka said. She gently laid her fingers on Rose’s chin, turning it slightly as she steadfastly ignored the flowers erupting in her stomach, considering instead what she’d like to turn Rose into and how long she could make the afternoon last. Reaching for a brush and a pot of pink, Juleka decided that the blush splashing across Rose’s cheeks was a good place to start.

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**Part Two: Edges**

Juleka was leaning against a pole, deep in conversation with Rose about the merits of lace, when Alya walked up.

"Uh, have you guys seen Marinette anywhere?" Alya asked, looking bemused. Juleka and Rose exchanged a glance before they both shook their heads. Alya wandered away, looking around for her best friend.

Juleka reflected back on class. Marinette had left the classroom halfway through the lecture to go the bathroom. Thinking about it now, Marinette had never come back.

Juleka hoped she was okay…

 

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Juleka and Nathanaël were standing in front of school after art when Nino bolted out the doors, looking around wildly. He stopped in front of them, putting his hands on his knees while he caught his breath.

“You okay, Nino?” Nathanaël asked. Nino held up a finger, his chest heaving as his lungs struggled to catch up.

“Adrien,” Nino panted. “Car…Did you see?” Both Nathanaël and Juleka shook their heads. Nino let out a groan.

“Why is the most slippery dude in France my best friend?” he asked, his hands rising towards the sky as he pleaded with the heavens for answers. He hung his head before turning and jogging back inside.

Juleka hoped he was okay…

 

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“Have you seen Marinette?” Alya asked, walking up to the picnic table where Juleka sat with Rose and Nino.

“No,” Nino said, perking up. “Have you seen Adrien?”

“No,” Alya said, shoulders slumping. Nino wordlessly slid aside. Alya sat down and placed her lunch on the table. “Where is that girl?” Alya asked, exasperation etched all over her face.

“Maybe she’s wherever Adrien is,” Nino said, laughing. Alya snorted, taking out her phone when she heard an alert. Juleka looked over her shoulder as Alya watched the news report about the latest akuma attack…

 

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“Have you seen-”

“Not since this morning.”

 

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“-around here?”

“Oh, yeah, I think…”

“Yeah?”

“Sorry, no, that was yesterday.”

 

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“Hey, look at what Ladybug and Chat Noir just did.”

“So Adrien and Marinette are the only ones absent, correct?”

 

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“Marinette! There you are.”

“Oh, um, yeah. Here I am!”

“Where have you-”

 

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

“-been right here the whole time, ma’am.”

“Okay. I’ll trust you this time, Mr. Agreste.”

“Thank you so-”

 

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“-much to tell you, Marinette.”

“Um, I kinda gotta… go? I’ll see you-”

 

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“-later, Nino. I have a…shoot! I have a shoot. A photo shoot.”

“Dang, dude. They work you hard.”

“You have no idea.”

 

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Juleka leaned against a pole in the courtyard, her arms crossed over her chest. The space was devoid of students. _She_ was supposed to be in art class. Juleka was waiting.

Seconds ticked by. Juleka stayed where she was.

Suddenly a door burst open on the second floor and Marinette came rushing out of her classroom. She bypassed the nearby bathroom, continuing her sprint until she reached the locker room. The one with windows. The courtyard was silent once more.

Moments later, the same door opened, this time moving more slowly as Adrien eased out of the room. He waited until the door was fully closed to turn and hurtle down the hall, shooting past the bathroom, and sliding into the locker room. The one with windows.

Juleka pushed away from the pole, slowly ascending the stairs to return to art.

When Nathanaël asked Juleka why she looked so smug, she only slid over her phone, which showed a live feed of Ladybug and Chat Noir battling an akuma.

 

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**Part Three: Center**

Ms. Mendeleiev was cranky. That was the only logical conclusion Juleka could come to as she solemnly picked up her stuff. Granted, Ms. Mendeleiev was always at least a little cranky. But Juleka and Rose had never been forced to separate before. Rose watched with mournful eyes as Juleka began to move away. Juleka paused for a moment, placing her hand on Rose’s shoulder.

“Move it, Juleka,” Ms. Mendeleiev snapped, glaring at her. Juleka removed her hand from Rose’s shoulder and walked away. She made a clean break, refusing to look back at her friend, separated from her by cruel fate.

Juleka sat down on the other side of the aisle in the empty seat next to Nathanaël. She looked past him to see Rose smile and wave at her. She waved back.

After such a cruel separation, Juleka tried harder to pay attention. After all, it had been her _lack_ of attention that had gotten her Rose privileges revoked. But it was a review day and Juleka _hated_ looking at material twice. Ms. Mendeleiev’s voice, even harsher today, droned on and on, grating against Juleka’s brain. So instead, she shamelessly snooped on what Nathanaël was doing. He had straightened a little so that Juleka could see that he was working in a notebook rather than taking notes on his tablet. Juleka recognized that notebook.

Nathanaël glanced up as he noticed Juleka shift towards him. He shot her a little smile, tacitly granting her permission to watch him work. Juleka craned her neck to see what he was doing, knowing that he wouldn’t have given such permission to most other people.

Nathanaël used this notebook to sketch frames of his comic, _Super Nathan_. He was currently working on the final frames of the _Stormy Wifi_ arc. Juleka suppressed a smile at the subject of the last frame. Super Nathan was holding Marinette as the two confessed their love for one another. With a title like _Super Nathan_ , it was hardly surprising that the comic was a little self-indulgent. Still, Juleka liked reading the comic as Nathanaël finished sections, nervously handing her his notebook and awaiting her verdict. It was self-indulgent, yes, but Nathanaël also managed to come up with some interesting dialogue and excelled at illustrating thrilling fight scenes. Juleka wished she could imitate his flowing art style and she downright envied the ease with which he drew the human body.

Nathanaël was using a pen to carefully ink his sketched images. Juleka hated the inking stage, constantly afraid of messing up a line, but Nathanaël’s pen flew across the page, his strokes confident. He couldn’t _talk_ to Marinette, but he could draw her no problem. Juleka allowed herself to get lost in the movement of Nathanaël’s pen, penciled images solidifying under his hand.

That was why, when Ms. Mendeleiev’s hand came crashing down on the desk, Juleka jumped along with Nathanaël.

“Nathanaël,” Ms. Mendeleiev said, voice accusatory as she leaned on her hand, glaring down at the boy. “What are you drawing?”

“Wh- wha-” Nathanaël sputtered, trying to regain his bearings after being dragged out of his work so forcefully. Ms. Mendeleiev snatched at the notebook, catching one of the pages, already delicate from Nathanaël’s work, and pulling it out. Juleka wrestled back her indignation as Ms. Mendeleiev held the page away from her in disgust.

“And these artistic endeavors are clearly why you are failing science,” Ms. Mendeleiev said. She released the page, allowing it to flutter down to the desk as she wiped her hand on her shirt. Juleka hoped that didn’t mean that Ms. Mendeleiev had smudged the sketch.

“I’m sorry,” Nathanaël said, the hesitation clear in his voice. Juleka could feel the eyes of everyone in the room centered on them. She could tell Nathanaël felt it too as he panicked beside her.

“You go march yourself down to the principal’s office and show him that chicken scratch,” Ms. Mendeleiev said, pointing to the door. _Chicken scratch?_ Juleka thought, the indignation rising again. It morphed into sympathy as Nathanaël stood, packing his stuff as quickly as possible with his head ducked in a move that was very familiar. Juleka did it pretty much every day. “Then you’ll be really sorry,” Ms. Mendeleiev spat as she watched Nathanaël retreat towards the door.

 _He’s_ already _really sorry_ , Juleka thought as she watched Nathanaël trip over a misplaced backpack. He hated it when people looked at him even more than Juleka did. His whole body screamed depression as Ms. Mendeleiev stomped over and dragged him up by the back of his shirt.

“Ooh, look Sabrina,” Chloe said. Juleka looked away from her unfortunate friend and groaned. Chloe was holding Nathanaël’s notebook. “It’s him as a superhero. And look who he’s saving. It’s Marinette!” Chloe looked up at Nathanaël, a cruel smile curling across her face. He stood frozen next to her desk, watching Chloe narrate his comic with horror written all over his face.

“He’s so totally crushing on you, Marinette,” Chloe sneered. Nathanaël lunged forward at those words, hand stretched out.

“Gimme that,” Nathanaël said as he snatched his notebook back from her, the carefully sketched drawings bending under his frantic fingers.

“Enough,” Ms. Mendeleiev said as she threw her arms up. “Nathanaël, go!” With that, Nathanaël turned and pretty much fled the room, running away from too many staring eyes. Running away from a girl he didn’t have the courage to face.

Ms. Mendeleiev turned to the review material as though she hadn’t just torn down a student before their eyes, but Juleka cared even less about paying attention than before. She was worried about Nathanaël. Even worse, she was worried about Chloe. Juleka knew better than to think that Chloe was going to leave it at the damage she’d already done. And Juleka was pretty sure she’d seen Chloe tuck a piece of paper under her arm as Nathanaël reclaimed his notebook…

 

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Juleka stood in the hall outside of the locker room, trying to find the courage to go in and confront Chloe. She’d been thinking about that piece of paper all day. She couldn’t ignore it, not when Chloe was walking around with Nathanaël’s work. However, she also hadn’t spoken directly to Chloe in years. Not since-

The door to the locker room flew open as Chloe exited. She didn’t so much as spare Juleka a glance as she walked by. Juleka dredged up the shreds of courage she possessed and stepped in front of her.

“Give me the page, Chloe,” Juleka said quietly, looking at Chloe from under her bangs. Chloe put on her innocent face. It looked remarkably similar to her something-smells-gross face.

“What are you talking about?” Chloe asked loudly, turning up her nose. She moved to walk around Juleka. Juleka stepped back into her path, her heart hammering in her chest. She could see other students pausing out of the corners of her eyes, watching the confrontation. She tried to ignore them. Chloe had her spooked enough and she couldn’t- she _wouldn’t_ show it.

“I saw you take a page out of Nathanaël’s notebook,” Juleka said, placing her hands on her hips in her best Ladybug impression. “Give it to me.” Chloe’s eyes narrowed. Then she smirked.

“Oooh, I don’t think Nathanaël’s the only one with a crush,” Chloe said loudly with another cruel smile, looking around at the other students standing in the hall, waiting for Juleka’s embarrassed reaction. Juleka saw a look of annoyance flash across Chloe’s face when she simply stared back, unimpressed.

“Nathanaël is my friend and I don’t think he wants you taking his work,” Juleka said evenly. Her eyes shifted to pink movement over Chloe’s shoulder. Rose stood there, giving Juleka a thumbs up and a small smile. Juleka’s heart slowed a little. She turned her gaze back to Chloe, new determination flowing through her. “You wouldn’t want to steal anybody _else’s_ work, would you?” Juleka asked. Chloe’s mouth dropped open. She crossed her arms over her chest as she huffed.

“That wasn’t my fault,” Chloe snapped, glaring at Juleka. “Do you even know who you’re dealing with, Demonica? Take your little stuffed animal and go.” Chloe waved at Rose dismissively, turning her nose up at Juleka again. Juleka’s eyes narrowed, her nervousness draining completely. She stepped up to Chloe so that they were practically nose to nose. She heard Chloe squeak, saw her shrink away as Juleka suddenly came to tower over her.

“I know _exactly_ who I’m dealing with, but I think you’ve forgotten,” Juleka said quietly. She deliberately glanced around at the other students watching their conversation silently. Nino and Adrien stood down the hall, trying to look like they weren’t listening in. Kim was loitering in a nearby doorway. Ivan was just exiting the locker room. Alix was outright watching. Juleka looked back down at Chloe, surprised and gratified to see fear on her face. “Do you want _them_ to know the truth?” Juleka asked, her voice almost gentle. She saw Chloe’s eyes widen. Chloe straightened a little, trying to decrease the differences in their height and failing.

“Don’t think that because you’re-” Chloe broke off, glancing around at their audience nervously. “- _you know_ , that you’ll get treated any differently. We established that a _long_ time ago,” Chloe hissed from behind gritted teeth. She was trying to be intimidating, but Juleka could read the uncertainty in her eyes. Juleka raised her hand, noting Chloe’s flinch as she held out her palm.

“Nathanaël’s paper,” Juleka said firmly. Chloe regarded her for a moment, looking around at everyone in earshot before pouting and placing a folded piece of paper in Juleka’s palm.

“I don’t want the stupid thing anyway,” Chloe huffed, crossing her arms again and stepping back from Juleka. “Who needs his ugly drawings of ugly people?” Chloe shot Juleka a dirty look before storming down the hallway, shoving past Alix. Silence fell as everyone stared at Juleka. Now that Chloe was gone, all of her nervousness rushed back in and she ducked her head so that her bangs hung between her and the incredulous stares of her classmates.

“Nice going, dude,” a cheerful voice said. Juleka looked up in surprise to see Nino smile at her as he and Adrien walked past. Adrien hesitated as he neared Juleka, opening his mouth as though he was about to say something. Juleka saw him decide not to say it, only giving her a small, sad smile as he followed Nino. Juleka looked around. Everyone within earshot was smiling at her. Alix stepped up to her, a huge smirk on her face.

“Chloe was being totally uncool,” she said, glaring after her. She turned a smile on Juleka. “That was super awesome of you. I’m sure Nath will be glad to get his drawing back.” She held up her fist. Juleka stared at it, glancing between it and Alix’s face. She hesitantly held out her own fist. Alix bumped it, then turned and walked away.

“That was amazing, Juleka!” Rose said brightly, bouncing up to Juleka as everyone else left. Juleka looked up from her fist to smile shyly. She could feel her face heating up. “I’ve never seen you so- so-” Rose flung out her arms, trying to express what Juleka had done. Juleka chuckled, lifting her head a little bit more. She herself could barely believe what she had done.

“She took Nathanaël’s drawing. And she called you a stuffed animal,” Juleka said, her smile fading as anger rose in her again.

“Well, you have Nathanaël’s drawing,” Rose said, placing a comforting hand on Juleka’s arm. “That’s what matters.” Juleka nodded at her friend, following as Rose turned to leave.

“But what were you and Chloe talking about at the end with…with the truth?” Rose asked hesitantly, looking up at Juleka with big eyes as they started down the stairs. Juleka looked away from her, focusing instead on the folded piece of paper Chloe had given her.

“Um…” Juleka said, trying to decide how much to tell Rose. She knew she could trust her, but it wasn’t her secret to…

Juleka’s words failed her as she looked down at the paper in her hands.

“Juleka?” Rose asked as Juleka stopped walking. Juleka didn’t respond. She only held up the blank piece of paper.

 

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Juleka sat in her chair in the corner of the library with her music on full blast, doing her very best not to implode. Rose had gone home, Nathanaël hadn’t been seen since he left for the principal’s office, and Juleka was staring at a blank piece of paper while Chloe traipsed around with Nathanaël’s drawing. Juleka wished that she had the courage to face Chloe again, but…

Juleka and Chloe had always had a very effective dynamic where Chloe pretended that Juleka didn’t exist and Juleka tried to do the same for Chloe. It was pretty nice most of the time. Juleka didn’t know what would happen if she pushed the boundaries of that dynamic. Chloe was quite skilled at raising hell when she wanted to.

So Juleka sat in her chair with her music on full blast and trained her focus on the only other topic that was interesting enough to distract her from her Chloe dilemma:

Juleka was pretty certain she’d figured out the identities of Ladybug and Chat Noir.

It wasn’t hard to figure out once she began to see the pieces. A misplaced textbook and an unusual allergy and a passing glance at hairstyles. After that, one only needed to pay even the slightest attention to their whereabouts to suspect the truth. The two were _always gone_.

Adrien Agreste, Juleka might have shrugged off. Half the time, he was legitimately at a photo shoot. The other half, Juleka had been tempted to write off as Adrien simply skipping school for his own reasons. She didn’t know him. She didn’t know his life. But when she lined Adrien up with Marinette…

Juleka had known Marinette Dupain-Cheng for years. She was klutzy, she was tardy, but she was _there_. Juleka could not remember Marinette missing a day of school since they were three, but now she missed class at least once a week. Juleka had been thrown off for a moment by the Timebreaker incident. She clearly remembered Marinette staring up at Ladybug same as the rest of them. But then Rose had told her about Alya’s theory about time travel…

Juleka would have just assumed that Marinette and Adrien were skipping school to hang out together in some sort of weird forbidden love situation, but their disappearances always coincided with akuma attacks. Also, they were just too law abiding for that. They’d suffer and moon over one another from afar rather than skip school. Unless, of course, something had fundamentally changed them.

Something like becoming a superhero.

Juleka couldn’t vouch for who Adrien was before Paris was plagued with monsters, but she remembered who Marinette was. She remembered how Marinette had stood up to Chloe on the third day of class. The day after Ladybug had taken down an akuma invasion and vowed to keep Paris safe from _whatever_ threatened it. If that wasn’t a confidence booster, Juleka didn’t know what was.

Then there was also the fact that both of them talked to themselves an awful lot. She didn’t know if that was a superhero thing or what, but it certainly was suspicious.

Looked at together and from afar, there were simply too many lines connecting teens and heroes, too many times one disappeared and the other surfaced, too many coincidences. Sure, there were explanations, but a mountain of excuses was almost the same as evidence.

Juleka was ninety percent sure that Adrien Agreste and Marinette Dupain-Cheng were Paris’s superheroes. She just couldn't completely accept the idea that a pair of normal teenagers were somehow saving a whole city from magical monsters. She just wasn’t quite sure that-

A scream pierced through Juleka’s music, dragging her gaze upwards. She looked up just in time to see a giant hairdryer materialize in front of Chloe and begin to chase her.

Juleka’s day was getting better already.

As Chloe ran out of view behind the bookshelves, another blond came into view. Adrien was peeking around the shelf at what was happening. He turned away, his face set and determined. He didn’t even glance around as he held open his shirt. If he had, he might have seen Juleka in her dark corner watching his every move. Instead, he focused on a tiny black… _something_ that had flown out of his shirt and was hovering in front of him.

“Plagg, claws out,” Adrien said. Juleka watched in fascination as the black thing was sucked into Adrien’s ring and green light flowed over him. Seconds later, Chat Noir dashed away.

Juleka didn’t have time to process what she’d seen before _Marinette_ ducked around the same bookshelf, _also_ not looking around before opening her purse and speaking to the _red_ thing that peeked out at her.

“Time to transform,” Marinette said. The little red thing whirled towards Marinette’s earrings as Marinette said, “Tikki, spots on!” Pink light passed over Marinette, leaving red and black in its wake. Then, Ladybug was tossing her yoyo and flying away.

 

…

 

Juleka was one hundred percent sure that Adrien Agreste and Marinette Dupain-Cheng were Paris’s superheroes.

In fact, she wondered how everybody else _wasn’t_.

Juleka levered herself up out of her chair, walking forward to peek around the edge of the bookshelves at the action.

Ladybug (Marinette) had her yoyo wrapped around the nozzle of the giant hairdryer, riding it as if it were an enraged bull. Juleka briefly wondered what kind of akuma this had to be to use a _hairdryer_ before Chat Noir (Adrien) sprang into view, trying to smash the sentient appliance. Juleka decided it was much more interesting watching these battles knowing that she knew these people. Nathanaël had a crush on the girl riding that hairdryer like a pro. The girl that was currently flinging out her yoyo with determination etched onto her face had a crush on…

Juleka’s train of thought completely derailed as she realized that Marinette (Ladybug) had an obvious and debilitating crush on Adrien (Chat Noir). Ladybug didn’t act like she had a crush on Chat Noir.

 _Oh my God_ , Juleka thought, wincing as the hairdryer smashed into a bookshelf, the mighty warrior finally falling as Chat Noir smashed it with his baton. _They don’t know each other’s identities_. The thought was a stretch, but how else could she explain the difference in how they interacted?

“Well, that guy looks pretty sketchy,” Chat Noir said, pointing upwards. Juleka followed Chat Noir’s hand to see what kind of akuma used appliances to attack. She wanted to know who to write a thank you card to for targeting Chloe.

Juleka blinked. Then she blinked again. However, the figure that turned and ran down the balcony was still the figure she’d been seeing in Nathanaël’s notebook for months. The akuma looked like Super Nathan. This could only mean…

Nathanaël was the akuma.

Juleka watched him skid to a stop, facing Ladybug and Chat Noir as they raced after him. His pencil moved quickly across the rectangle attached to his arm. A glowing barrier appeared between him and the superheroes, them smashing into it as he turned and ran, a smirk spreading across his face.

Juleka mentally corrected herself. Nathanaël was _awesome_. She shook her head slightly. Even when he was evil, the boy had skills.

Juleka watched Ladybug and Chat Noir stand up and dust themselves off. They stood there for a moment, conversing, probably about next steps. Juleka stayed where she was. It was interesting watching them decide what to do next. The serious expressions on their faces were so familiar. Everything about them was familiar. Juleka seriously wondered how their identities were still secret. She wondered if there was magic involved. She wondered a lot of things.

She wondered how Ladybug could seriously not know that the boy she stuttered to every day was standing right in front of her. She certainly didn’t seem like she had any problems speaking now.

The two heroes finished deliberating and then they were off, running out of the library on a mission, without ever noticing that someone was watching them.

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“Juleka!” a voice called the next morning as Juleka approached the school. Juleka turned to see Marinette racing up behind her. She wondered if perhaps the girl wasn’t as oblivious as she thought she was. Marinette slowed as she caught up with Juleka, holding out a familiar sheet of paper. “I found this and I thought Nathanaël might like it back.”

Oblivious after all.

Juleka reached out and took the piece of paper, this time actually inspecting it. She noted the glasses and facial hair and had no problem guessing where such additions had come from. Juleka glanced up at Marinette, amused. She had a pretty good idea where Marinette had “found” it.

“Thanks,” Juleka said, tucking the sheet of paper into her bag. She looked back up to see Marinette still hovering there awkwardly. Juleka could tell that she was debating something with herself. The streak of mischief in Juleka’s brain that normally went unused lit up like a Christmas tree. “You don’t have to worry about Nathanaël’s crush,” Juleka said. Marinette’s head shot up, her cheeks turning red.

“I- I don’t?” Marinette blurted. She turned even redder, her shoulders inching up. “I mean, um…”

“You don’t,” Juleka confirmed, giving Marinette a small smile. Marinette was still red, but she smiled back.

“That’s good. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings,” Marinette said. Juleka nodded sagely.

“You won’t,” Juleka said, turning to walk into the school. “After all, he’s in love with Ladybug now.” Juleka heard Marinette’s startled squeak behind her as she moved towards the stairs. She smiled a little bit to herself.

Juleka hadn’t ever really considered how she’d react to learning the most popular secret in Paris. If she had, she would have expected a bit more screaming. Maybe a little hyperventilating. Instead, she was using the knowledge to mess with them.

Marinette was Ladybug.

Adrien was Chat Noir.

Okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next on Powers of Invisibility: Juleka helps make a movie.


	6. The War of Art

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juleka ends up in the middle of a war zone disguised as an amateur movie and has some trouble with a bruise.

“So, we have Nino as director, Mylene and Adrien as lead actors, Ivan as the monster, Max in charge of tech and effects, Alya and Nino already wrote the script,” Marinette said, writing down names and positions on the board as she listed what had been agreed upon so far. Juleka was more than content to sit back and allow everyone else to make decisions.

“Anything else we need to cover?” Marinette asked, looking up from her list. Juleka was quite glad that Chloe and Sabrina were out of school for an XY concert. They would have had to argue on every single point had Chloe been there and Juleka did not feel like listening to that this morning. Chloe had already been complaining about Marinette being producer for _days_.

“Juleka can do makeup!” Rose cried, standing and raising her hand and abruptly ripping Juleka out of her thoughts. Her head shot up to look at Rose and she was alarmed to see the brightness of her eyes, the determined set of her face. “She’s really good at it.”

“Um-” Juleka began, working on a steadfast refusal. Makeup was something she did in the safety of Rose’s room. Not here. Not around so many people. Not when Chloe would be there, ready and waiting to tear everything down.

“Great,” Marinette said, already writing.

“But-” Juleka said. She knew she looked like she was panicking. Because she was.

“You’ll be wonderful,” Rose said quietly, beaming down at her. Rose looked back up at Marinette, raising her voice. “And I’ll do hospitality.”

“Hospitality?” Marinette asked, voice unsure for the first time since she’d nervously suggested Adrien for the lead role.

“You know, providing snacks and stuff,” Rose said, bouncing on her toes. She looked so proud of herself for coming up with the idea. Juleka allowed the sight of her friend so excited to calm her down. Juleka looked around the room at everyone listening to Marinette. She was friends with most of these people. She could…do it…

Right?

“Oh, okay,” Marinette said, returning her focus to the board. “Juleka as makeup artist and Rose as hospitality.”

Where was an akuma when you needed one? Juleka would much rather be a minion than deal with this.

“Rose,” Juleka whispered, staring at her supposed friend with accusation in her eyes.

“Yes?” Rose asked. An innocent smile spread across her face. Juleka groaned.

“If there isn’t anything else, then anybody that doesn’t have a position can help Max with tech,” Marinette said, turning to face everyone again. Juleka watched her as she took charge. In moments like these, it was easy to see the Ladybug in her. When Marinette was given responsibility, she took it seriously. “Everyone needs to be back up here by eight o’clock tomorrow. Thanks guys. I know that we’ll do great.” With her final words of encouragement, everyone started moving to leave. Rose stood. Juleka caught her arm.

“Rose,” Juleka said again, though this time the word was more pleading than accusatory. Rose’s face softened and she placed her hand over Juleka’s.

“You’ll be wonderful, Juleka,” Rose assured. “Besides, it’s not like there’s going to be any serious makeup. Ivan is going to be wearing a mask and Mylene and Adrien will only need a bit of touching up.”

Juleka...hadn’t even considered that. It wasn’t going to be hard at all. They probably didn’t even need makeup all that badly. When she looked back up at Rose, she was a little less panicked.

“Okay,” Juleka sighed, still reluctant but no longer freaking out. Rose giggled. She knew a victory when she saw one.

“Come on,” Rose said, taking Juleka’s hand and pulling her to her feet. “I taught Lucas to make cupcakes last night and he wants you to try one. He says-”

“Hey, Juleka,” Alix said, stepping in front of them. Juleka looked down at her in surprise. “My old man told me about your parents. Congrats.” Makeup flew from Juleka’s mind as she tensed.

“Congrats for what?” Juleka asked carefully. Alix gave her a strange look.

“For finishing their book,” Alix said, her eyebrow rising. Juleka looked down, allowing her bangs to fall in front of her face.

“Oh. Thanks,” Juleka said. She felt Rose and Alix looking at her. “I’ll let them know. See you later, Alix.” Alix continued to stare at her for a moment before she shrugged and walked away. Rose was still looking at her. Juleka wondered if she realized that she was still holding her hand.

Juleka started walking again, heading for the door. Rose dropped her hand a moment later.

Rose stayed quiet as they walked. Juleka was grateful for the silence. She needed a moment to digest Alix’s words. Juleka felt like she was supposed to be upset, but she was really just…

Unsurprised.

Rose didn’t speak until they had left the school, stepping out of the shadow of the large doors into blinding sunlight. Juleka felt the hot sun beating down on them the same way she felt Rose gather courage to open her mouth.

“I didn’t know that your parents had finished writing their book,” Rose said tentatively, peering up at Juleka. Juleka glanced down at her, taking in the concerned expression widening her blue eyes.

“Neither did I,” Juleka said quietly. Rose’s eyes widened even more. She looked so worried that Juleka's chest constricted in return. She wondered at the fact that she was more affected by Rose’s worry than by her parents’ absence. She wondered who that said more about.

“Juleka, I-”

“So Lucas learned to make cupcakes?” Juleka asked. Rose still looked at her with those sad eyes. Juleka hated it when Rose was sad. “How did he do?” Rose giggled a little at that, her worry finally giving way to fond memories.

“Oh, Juleka, he made the biggest mess,” Rose said, her hand coming up to cover her mouth as her giggles increased. Juleka smiled down at Rose as she launched into her story about Lucas’s first cupcakes: the batter mishap, the flour angels, the insistence that Juleka try “the World’s Best Cupcakes.” She could already feel the tension that her parents always brought her draining away as Rose giggled beside her.

Juleka decided that it said a lot more about the beautiful person that was Rose.

 

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Rose insisted that, as the person in charge of hospitality, she had to arrive early so that it was ready for everyone else. She also didn’t want to show up early _alone_. Thus, Juleka was standing in front of the school with Rose an entire hour early, staggering under Rose’s many bags of snacks as well as her own makeup kit. She sighed in relief when Rose pulled open the door to the school. Juleka had been half expecting it to be locked. Since, you know, they didn’t have to be there until _eight_.

Marinette, Nino, and Alya seemed to have similar thoughts when they looked up in surprise as Juleka and Rose staggered into the classroom. Nino jumped up to help them with their many bags while Marinette checked her phone.

“Wow, you guys are early,” Marinette remarked, but she looked back up at them with a smile.

“Hospitality can’t possibly be late,” Rose cried from behind her bags. “What would everyone do without their snacks?” Marinette and Alya laughed, but Juleka knew that Rose was completely serious.

“Where should we put this?” Juleka asked pointedly. Her arms were starting to hurt. Marinette jumped up, taking a few bags from Juleka.

“Um, up there should be good. It’s out of the way so it shouldn’t end up in any shots,” Marinette said, leading the way up to the table across the aisle from where Juleka and Rose normally sat. Juleka followed, relieved to finally set the bags down. She surveyed the pile of supplies the same way she had surveyed them when she'd shown up at Rose’s house that morning. It looked more like Rose was prepping to feed an army than a class of fourteen students.

“Early _and_ prepared,” Alya said, also looking over the small mountain of food. “Let’s hope everyone else is as on top of things as you today.” Rose blushed and flashed Alya a broad smile as she began to arrange her hospitality station, taking item after item after item out of bags. Juleka set aside her makeup kit and started to help.

“You guys are early too,” Juleka pointed out, glancing up as the other three students began to assist as well.

“We got here early--where do you want this, Rose--to get all of the shots and details planned out ahead of time,” Marinette said, placing a stack of paper plates at the end of the table while eyeing a package of cookies.

“Ooh, that’s smart,” Rose said. She started arranging cupcakes into neat little rows.

“Isn't it a little warm in here?” Juleka asked as she arranged large bottles of water, tea, and juice next to the cups.

“The school gave us use of the building, but no one turned on the air conditioning,” Marinette huffed. “We’re gonna have to deal with being a little warm.” Juleka sighed. She _hated_ being warm. However, as long as she didn't start sweating, she could deal. It'd be okay.

With the five of them working on it, all of the food was laid out in short order. Rose had brought three different beverages, croissants and sliced cheeses, veggies and fruits, chips, cookies, homemade cupcakes, little tiny sandwiches with hearts cut of the middle, plastic cups, plates, napkins, _serving trays_. Rose had brought everything and was prepared for any snack emergency that arose.

“It looks so tasty, Rose,” Marinette said, definitely surprised at the lengths Rose had gone to. Juleka only nodded her agreement. She expected no less from her.

“It looks so _pretty_ ,” Rose said, sighing happily. The other three, satisfied that their help was no longer needed, returned to their planning and Juleka settled down to wait. Ten minutes down, several hours to go…

 

Over the course of the next hour, students began to trickle in. Max was next to arrive, showing up _thirty minutes later_ to start setting up the tech equipment. Juleka got roped into helping since _her_ job wouldn’t start until the actors showed up. Max put Kim and Alix to work alongside Juleka. Nathanaël joined the techies soon after. Chloe and Sabrina were annoyingly punctual and, on cue, Chloe immediately started criticizing pretty much everything and complaining about the temperature. By the time Mylene and Ivan showed up five minutes before eight, finally giving Juleka something to do, the room was filled with the comfortable buzz of chatting students, occasionally cut by a harsh laugh or complaint from the self-appointed critic.

Juleka sat Mylene down out of the way and began looking for a foundation that would match her skin. She wasn’t going to be doing much. Just a light, natural look that would make Mylene look a little bit older and hold up to the lights and the cameras. Juleka found a color that she thought would work and reached out for Mylene’s hand to test it out. That’s when she noticed that Mylene was shaking. Juleka looked up. Mylene’s eyes were wide, darting around the room, taking in all of the activity.

“You okay?” Juleka asked quietly. Mylene’s eyes flew up to her face. She gave a small nod that did not reassure Juleka in the slightest. Juleka raised an eyebrow at her.

“I’m okay,” Mylene insisted, her voice a little higher than normal. Juleka continued to look at her. Mylene let out a short sigh, clasping her hands in front of her. “I’m just so nervous. I’ve never been a lead actress before.” Juleka rested a hand on Mylene’s shoulder.

“We all believe in you, Mylene,” Juleka said, giving her a reassuring smile. Mylene’s eyes were still wide as she looked up at her, but her hands stopped shaking as she lowered them to her lap. This time when she nodded, Juleka was satisfied that the girl was a little calmer. She returned to her duties, testing the makeup against the skin of Mylene’s hand before starting on her face. Juleka heard Mylene begin to hum to herself.

“Adrikins!” Chloe’s shriek announced the arrival of Juleka’s second charge. Juleka glanced over her shoulder to see Adrien be attacked by Chloe. That was another item on the growing list of things that amused Juleka. She knew that Chloe would never voluntarily touch Chat Noir but she had to be pried off of Adrien with a stick. Juleka took her time finishing Mylene’s makeup. She didn’t really feel like hunting down a stick at the moment.

Luckily, when Juleka was satisfied that Mylene looked absolutely perfect, Nino had already run interference. Chloe sat glaring at them while Nino talked to Adrien. Juleka couldn’t help but smile. She turned back to Mylene.

“You’ll be great,” Juleka said, patting Mylene on the shoulder again. Mylene gave her a nervous smile and stood, making her way over to Ivan. Juleka headed towards the second star of their show.

Now, Juleka hit a roadblock. She didn’t want to intrude on Nino and Adrien’s conversation. It was important director-actor stuff. But she also wanted to do her job. But her job wasn’t really necessary. But it was still her job. But Nino and Adrien were the actual important people here. But Juleka just wanted to do _her job_. Unable to figure out the social protocols of the situation, Juleka settled for hovering close to Nino and Adrien until somebody made a decision for her.

“So always remember, dude. You live and die by the book. If it’s too dangerous, you evacuate,” Nino was saying, his hand on Adrien’s shoulder as he drilled home his vision of Officer Jones. “But when it comes to Agent Smith, you can’t evacuate _your heart_.” At this, Adrien’s gaze wandered away from Nino, fixing instead on Juleka. He winked at her, amusement written all over his face.

“Alright, Nino. Can’t evacuate my heart. Got it,” Adrien said. He gestured towards Juleka. “I believe that I’m needed in Makeup.” Juleka offered Nino a little wave as the budding director looked up at her. He heaved a sigh.

“Okay, but as soon as you’re done, get back over here so that we can discuss how you’re going to convey your emotional journey,” Nino said, backing away. “Mylene! Dude, let’s talk _bravery_ …” Adrien shook his head as his best friend jogged over to Mylene. Mylene watched Nino approach the way a gazelle might watch a lion.

“Is there any chance that makeup can take forever?” Adrien asked, smiling at Juleka. She gave him a small smile in return, then turned and led him over to her makeshift station. Her gaze shifted to his cheek as he took a seat on the bench, her mind working on what shades to try. Juleka gave him a calculating look.

“You mind if I use a different brand of makeup?” she asked, still watching him.

“Different from what?” Adrien asked, legitimately confused.

“Different from the one you’re using to cover that bruise,” Juleka replied, gesturing to the slightly darker patch of skin expertly hidden on Adrien's cheek, but not well enough to escape her notice. She watched in amusement as he froze.

“Um-” Adrien said, clearly unprepared for this.

“You know I’m going to have to remove yours either way, right?” Juleka said. Adrien’s face took on a sheepish look and his hand came up to rub at the back of his neck. “Surely you’re used to this with photoshoots.”

“Yeah, I am,” Adrien said. He looked annoyed now, but not at Juleka. More like he was mentally chewing himself out, probably for not thinking this far ahead.

 _Smooth move, superhero_ , Juleka thought as Adrien continued to frown.

“So are you okay with me using a different brand or would you like me to use yours?” Juleka asked. Adrien focused back on Juleka, the annoyed expression fading a little.

“Yours works,” Adrien said. Juleka immediately set to work matching a color.

Juleka snagged a makeup wipe and handed it to Adrien. She paused as she noticed him wince and glance around the room. Juleka purposefully took a step closer to Adrien, angling herself between him and the majority of the other students. Adrien noted the movement, looking up and catching Juleka’s eye. They looked at each other for a moment before Adrien nodded at her with a small smile on his face and she returned to pulling colors. Adrien gave her his hand for testing without prompting. Juleka picked up her brush and dipped it into the makeup before turning to look at Adrien’s face.

The bruise on his face was pretty fresh, the purple stretching across his cheek strong and angry and nasty. She didn’t know how he had successfully hidden it up to this point, but she did have an idea of how he had gotten it.

Juleka changed tactics, covering the bruise with yellowish concealer to cut the color before starting in with the foundation, applying makeup until the purple was no longer visible. Then she started to blend the spot to match the rest of his face.

“So,” Juleka said, feeling a little mischievous after too much time spent waiting in the too-warm air of the classroom. She felt Adrien tense up immediately. “How’d you get such a crazy bruise?” She kept her eyes trained on his skin, but it wasn’t hard to see him look up at her with nervous eyes.

“Um, I- I was walking and uh-” Adrien stuttered. Juleka kept her eyes trained on her work as amusement welled up within her.

“It was during the akuma attack the other day, right?” Juleka asked. She didn’t know how, but Adrien managed to tense up even more.

“What?” Adrien all but squeaked. Juleka withheld a chuckle, deciding to take mercy on him.

“A lot of innocent bystanders end up with bruises,” Juleka said. Relief flooded Adrien’s posture.

“Yeah,” Adrien said. “Yeah, that’s how I got it. Bystander. Totally.” It was so unbelievable Juleka couldn’t hold back a small smile. How had no one figured this boy out yet? How had his _partner_ not figured this boy out yet? He couldn’t lie to save his life. Juleka finished her work on Adrien’s face in silence, sparing him from having to come up with any more lies. When she pronounced Adrien ready, Nino pounced.

“It’s showtime, dude,” Nino said, slinging his arm around Adrien’s shoulders and giving him a few more notes on his performance as he led him down the stairs. Juleka had a brief clown flashback.

“All right everybody,” Nino called, silence falling over the assembled students as their director addressed them. “Let’s get this party started. Get set for scene one, take one.”

Juleka moved to stand next to Rose at the hospitality table, placing herself out of the way of the flurry of activity that occurred as everyone moved to their places.

The next hour of activity was…interesting. The script was okay. The techies knew what they were doing. Nino certainly knew what he wanted. Adrien was a pretty good actor. Mylene…

Mylene could have been a good actress, but she was just so nervous and jumpy that she couldn’t get through the first take. She could barely look at Ivan in his mask without dissolving, which didn’t really lend itself to a plot focusing on the bravery of the female lead. They had already gone through thirteen takes and were about to get started on the fourteenth.

Unfortunately, Mylene’s nerves were not the only problem.

The makeup wasn’t covering Adrien’s bruise.

Juleka had no idea what was going on. Between the excess heat and Adrien's exertions as Officer Jones, he _was_ sweating a little. And Nino seemed to have Adrien do something with his cheek every five minutes. Press it against the wall as he listened for the monster. Press it against the desk as he _hid_ from the monster. Cover it as he acted shocked at Agent Smith’s words. Still, it should have been staying better and Juleka was growing more and more anxious that the bruise would become readily apparent to everyone and that would get rather awkward rather quickly. It was too late to try using whatever Adrien had been using to cover it before. Nino was not tolerating interruptions. So Juleka did the only thing she _could_ do and attacked Adrien with her makeup brush every time they paused.

Mylene let out another scream.

“Cut!” Nino called, the exasperation evident in his voice. Juleka spared a glance at Mylene ducking underneath the desk as she pulled Adrien aside, knowing she had a couple of minutes to touch up Adrien’s bruise while they reset. Adrien knew something was up at this point, so he simply followed her off to the side and allowed her to cake his face with foundation. Again.

“I’m sorry,” Mylene’s hesitant voice cut through Juleka’s concentration. Her chest tightened as she listened to the poor girl. “I’m gonna do better on the next take. I promise.” Adrien looked over at Mylene, sympathy in his gaze. Juleka switched to brushing his other cheek in order to even out the application and avoid calling attention to the one section of his face that she kept focusing on.

“Anyone want some tea?” Rose’s sweet voice floated down from the hospitality table. Juleka didn’t glance up, but she just knew that Rose was standing there, holding up the tea, trying her best to make everyone feel better. Fourteen takes later, everyone was frustrated, Juleka among them as she swiped at Adrien’s stubborn bruise for the umpteenth time. But she felt a little better hearing Rose. Juleka tuned out of the conversation. It’d already happened after the fourth take. And the seventh. And the twelfth.

Mylene apologizing, Nino criticizing, Chloe aggravating, rinse and repeat.

Juleka just brushed, brushed, brushed.

That is, until Mylene accidentally back into Adrien and let out a scream, flailing away from the boy towering over her. She was so wound up…

And naturally, when things couldn’t get any worse.

“And the Oscar for best pathetic scaredy-cat afraid of its own shadow goes to…Mylene!” Chloe cried in a false happy tone that made Juleka want to grab Chloe’s purse and vomit in it. She followed up her mocking statement with a cruel laugh.

“Chloe, seriously?” Adrien said, his hands resting protectively on Mylene’s shoulders. Juleka looked up at him in surprise. From the very beginning, Adrien had been surprised, confused, disappointed, even saddened by Chloe’s actions. He had never seemed so… _angry_ before.

“Yeah, so what?” Chloe said dismissively, crossing her arms as she leaned against a table.

As Mylene fled the room, Juleka almost wished she didn’t know why Chloe was the way she was. Then she’d be able to hate her without that little twinge of guilt.

“Mylene!” Marinette called, the sound of Mylene's sobs echoing back into the room. Marinette turned back to the cast and crew, most of them staring after her in a sort of shock. “Anyone gonna go after her?” she demanded. Like most of the class, Juleka simply looked back at her in silence. Running after the crying girl was normally Marinette’s thing. However, if anyone was going to run after Mylene…

“Mylene, wait!” Ivan called, tearing off his monster mask and flying out of the room. The room remained in silence for a moment after Ivan’s exit, all of them listening to the pounding of Ivan’s footsteps as he went after their lead actress. Rose materialized at Juleka’s elbow, holding a serving tray with some juice. She looked so determined, like she wanted to use her snacks to make everything better. It was working for Juleka.

“Chloe,” Adrien said, turning to his old friend, his eyebrows furrowed. He looked so disturbed. “You shouldn’t have-”

“If _I_ had had a say in this, that squat little mouse never would have gotten the part,” Chloe said, examining her nails.

“Oh, so you’re just going to sabotage everything you didn’t decide?” Marinette asked, crossing her arms and glaring at Chloe. Chloe straightened off of the desk and planted her hands on her hips.

“If that’s what I have to do to make sure this movie isn’t a _disaster_ then that’s what I’ll do,” Chloe sneered.

“You’re trying to _help_?” Alya asked, scoffing as she stepped up next to Marinette, her arms also folded. “Why do you even care, Chloe?”

 _Yeah, why_ do _you care?_ Juleka thought. Chloe didn’t invest time into anything that didn’t benefit her. She didn’t have anything to do or gain from being here…

So why had she even shown up?

“I _don’t_ ,” Chloe sniffed, turning up her nose. _That_ made more sense, but it still didn’t explain…

“So you’re sabatoging this for no-” Alya started, her arms flying up in exasperation.

“If you hadn’t made these decisions _without_ me-” Chloe interrupted, stomping her foot.

“It’s not _our_ fault you ditched to go to a concert,” Alya said, her voice rising to just below a shout.

“Epic, Chloe. Just epic,” Nino snapped, halting the verbal tennis match between the two girls. Juleka was almost sad. She'd been a moment away from going to see if Rose had brought any popcorn. Chloe hopped up on the table, defaulting back to scornful disinterest. “What are we supposed to do now without our leading actress?”

“Who needs her anyway? She was totally lame,” Chloe said, completely unconcerned about what she’d done.

“ _You’re_ lame,” Ivan shouted as he filled the doorway. His face was stormy, his fists were clenched. Ivan was generally an angry looking guy, but Juleka had never seen him this angry. “Mylene is crying her eyes out in the bathroom thanks to you.”

“Me, lame?” Chloe asked, outrage dripping from her voice.

 _Well, duh_ , Juleka thought.

“Hey, hey. Everyone chill out,” Marinette said, moving to stand in front of Ivan and waving her hands through the air as if she could just waft away the negative energy. Marinette whispered something to Ivan before addressing the whole class. “I’m the producer and I’m gonna do everything in my power to finish filming _tonight_ ,” Marinette said, her face covered with Ladybug determination.

“The deadline for the Parisian Student Short Film Festival is tomorrow morning," Max piped up from his seat next to the snacks. "Precisely twenty-six hours, fifteen minutes, and fourteen, thirteen seconds from now."

“Thank you, Max,” Marinette said, her voice betraying an edge of strain. She began pacing, flipping through her clipboard. “And we still have editing, post-sound, soundtrack-”

“Then who’s gonna take Mylene’s part?” Adrien asked from his seat on the desk. Juleka suppressed a sigh. She’d hoped that Mylene would be able to surmount her nervousness.

“Um, me of course,” Chloe said, gesturing to herself. She said it as if it were a matter of course, as if she were the only possible choice, as if she had been waiting for this.

 _Ah_ , Juleka thought. _That’s why she’s here._

“You haven’t even read the script,” Alya said, brandishing her script at Chloe.

“Of course I have,” Chloe snapped back. Juleka was surprised. Chloe must have really wanted the part if she’d actually read the script. Maybe…

“The first scene anyway,” Chloe amended, brushing past Alya and moving towards the desk. Juleka was less surprised.

“I can even tell you that it ends with a kiss between Agent Smith and Officer Jones,” Chloe finished, hopping up on the desk and scooting towards Adrien. Juleka practically heard Marinette’s brain grind to a halt.

 _Oh._ That’s _why she’s here,_ Juleka thought. Chloe wasn’t about to pass up a chance to kiss Adrien. She also wasn’t about to let anyone else touch something she deemed to be her property, whether or not that thing was a human being, whether or not that human being had consented to being hers.

Marinette turned to Alya in a panic and Alya turned to Nino in a fury and Rose turned to Adrien with some juice. Adrien was running out of patience, but he accepted the juice gratefully. Rose beamed as he took it, satisfied that she had done something to help as his frown turned into a smile.

But Chloe had to ruin that too.

“Oh, who cares who wrote what?” Chloe said, snatching Adrien’s juice and draining it. Juleka watched Rose’s face fall. She glared at Chloe. In fact, everyone glared at Chloe. “We’ve got to film this thing, right?”

“She’s right,” Max agreed. Juleka turned her glare on him. “Principal Damocles is only allowing us to use the school until six p.m. sharp. Which leaves us with nine hours, twelve minutes, and twelve seconds. Eleven, ten, nine, eight, seven, six…”

Meanwhile, Marinette was almost certainly going through a breakdown. She pulled Alya away from Nino (lucky for him) and the two spoke in whispers for a moment, their faces both showing the same anger. Juleka was willing to bet they were pretty much angry about the same thing if for different reasons. Juleka didn’t care about kisses, but Chloe had _drunk_ Rose’s _juice_.

Marinette gathered herself suddenly and ran down the steps as if heading into battle.

“We can’t let Mylene just leave just like that, it’s…wrong,” Marinette said, righteousness suffusing her voice. Juleka wondered briefly, possibly unfairly, if Marinette would have been so righteous if a kiss wasn’t on the line. “We all chose her to play the leading female role. And we’re all in this movie together. She needs our support. I’m gonna go find her and bring her back.”

As Marinette turned and started towards the door, Juleka had to admit that Marinette was pretty good at making impassioned speeches. She wondered if that was a side effect of being Ladybug. She disregarded that thought almost immediately. Marinette had _always_ made speeches. Even in kindergarten, she’d found something to stand up about.

“Always trying to save the day, aren’t you, Marinette?” Chloe sneered at Marinette’s back. Juleka wondered if she realized that she had just cast herself as the villain. “Good luck finding the filthy hole that scaredy-cat’s hiding in.” Marinette tensed, but continued out of the door.

Juleka knew why Marinette had gone to find Mylene. The best way to stop Chloe was to bring back the legitimate lead actress. However, she knew that the producer had made a tactical error as soon as she left. Chloe’s face morphed into a triumphant smile as she turned to the people remaining in the room.

“Well?” Chloe demanded. “Are we going to get filming or what?”

“Marinette is looking for Mylene,” Alya said, stepping up to Chloe and crossing her arms. Alya was strong, but Chloe was stronger and she had latched onto a good argument. What was worse, she knew it. There was a gloat hovering in her eyes as she turned to Nino.

“We don’t have to time to wait for people who don’t know what they’re doing to drag themselves in and interfere with your process, _do_ we, Mr. Director?” Chloe said slyly. Nino averted his eyes from her. Juleka could see what was going through his head. He didn’t like giving up on Mylene. He certainly didn’t like aligning himself with _Chloe_. However, he knew that Chloe was right. They simply didn’t have time for this. And he’d been getting frustrated with Mylene’s inability to stay in character even before she’d disappeared on him. The gears were churning as he tried to find a way to proceed without betraying anyone, including himself. Juleka watched the gears click in place, saw him throw an apologetic glance at Alya, saw determination set in.

“Reset for scene one, take fifteen,” Nino sighed. Everyone moved to reset, but the only people that were happy about it were Chloe and Sabrina. Alya shot Nino a betrayed glower before dashing out of the room, presumably to find Marinette. The techies moved slowly as they set up the lights. Rose and Juleka exchanged apprehensive glances as they sat down out of the way. Adrien got into place with that frown plastered on his face. He did not seem happy with how things turned out. He literally flinched as Chloe took Mylene’s place next to him, fluttering her eyelashes at him as she placed a hand on his shoulder. Adrien shrugged it off.

“Ready?” Nino asked, looking around at everyone. He got several reluctant nods. He sighed, then held up his phone, nodding at Alix. “Okay.”

“Horrificator, take fifteen,” Alix said, her voice conveying the utter defeat everyone was feeling as she clicked the clapperboard.

“Act-”

“Wait, what do I say?” Chloe interrupted. Nino stared at her for a moment. Then he groaned.

“I thought you said you read the script,” Nino said, burying his face in his palm. “Haven’t you just been watching us do the take for the last hour?” Chloe crossed her arms.

“So? I wasn’t paying attention to that lameness. Someone get me a script or something,” Chloe said, clicking her fingers. Juleka couldn’t quite find it within herself to feel sorry for Nino as he ground his teeth and stomped over to pick up Alya’s script. He handed it to Chloe. The girl glanced at it.

“Ugh, this is all so boring,” Chloe said, wrinkling nose. “Can we just skip to the kissing part?” Adrien paled a little and Juleka winced as the bruise momentarily stood out.

“We have to shoot the rest of the movie eventually,” Nino said, heaving another huge sigh. Chloe sighed too. Everyone sighed. It was a sighing epidemic.

“Fine, but we start with the kiss,” Chloe said, turning to Adrien as if the matter had been closed.

“ _Fine_ ,” Nino pretty much growled. “Are you ready now?” he asked, sarcasm dripping from every word.

“Go ahead,” Chloe said, fluttering her hand at Nino. Another sigh, all around.

“Horrificator, take fifteen,” Alix said, clicking the clapperboard once more.

“Action,” Nino said. Juleka could tell that he immediately regretted his decision as Chloe began to read her lines. Mylene hadn’t been amazing, but at least she had, oh, _said the actual lines_.

“I’m not scared of that Horrificator thingy, Officer Whatever-your-name-is,” Chloe said, the script clearly in the shot. At least it was until she literally threw it out. Adrien stared at her in disbelief. “Now, kiss me!” Chloe leaned against Adrien, puckering her lips. Adrien leaned away, disgust flitting across his features.

Juleka wasn’t sure she’d ever felt more sorry for someone. She wondered if this counted as sexual harassment.

“Cut!” Marinette’s voice sent Adrien and Chloe flying apart as the classroom door slammed open. Marinette stood in the doorway, murder in her eyes as she glared at Chloe. Juleka swore she saw relief flood Adrien’s face as he moved away. Then she almost swore. Relief wasn’t the only thing she saw on Adrien’s face. She steeled herself to enter the war zone.

Because that’s what this movie was becoming.

“Marinette, what gives?” Nino demanded, shoving past his best friend to stand in front of Marinette. “We’re in the middle of a shoot and _I’m_ the director, FYI. _I_ say cut, no one else. Comprende?” Alya’s gasp pretty much summed up Juleka’s reaction. All of these people, Nino, Marinette, Adrien, were usually so chill, so nice, but now they were bitter and angry. Adrien stood to the side (which made Juleka’s job much easier), frowning at his best friend. Nino had his arms crossed as he glared at Marinette.

“And I’m the producer,” Marinette snapped, glaring right back. “Mylene’s supposed to be the star of this movie.”

“We’re out of time, and from what I can see, Mylene is MIA,” Nino said, pacing away from Marinette, his hands clamped behind his back like some sort of grandstanding senator. “Let’s take it from the top, people.” Juleka edged around the room so that she could get to Adrien’s face before they started filming again.

“Here we go again,” Adrien mumbled bitterly as Juleka came up next to him. His sigh changed to an exclamation of surprise as Juleka attacked him with her brush.

Juleka tuned out the argument as she focused on Adrien’s face. Covering a bruise was much more desirable than listening to Marinette, Alya, Nino, and Chloe bicker at one another. Alya was indignant. Nino was too blunt for his own good and getting too frustrated to say things nicely. Chloe was making stupid suggestions. And Juleka did _not_ care enough for this. What did bring Juleka’s attention back into the conversation was Marinette agreeing.

With _Chloe_.

“Your nurse idea’s perfect, Chloe,” Marinette said soothingly, holding out her hand as if to set it on Chloe’s shoulder, but she couldn’t quite make herself do it.

Juleka glanced out the window. No, pigs weren’t flying just yet.

“Of course it’s a perfect idea. Because it’s mine,” Chloe said. Juleka would have to ask her to check if hell had frozen over.

“But Chloe, you don’t have a uniform,” Marinette said, wide eyes blinking at Chloe in the very picture of innocence. Gears began to turn in Juleka’s brain. _Ah._

“Right. Which is why that idea wasn’t believable in the first place,” Alya snapped at Chloe. Juleka wanted to shush her, let Marinette finish brokering whatever sort of peace she was going for.

“I think you and your assistant should go down to the nurse’s office and try out some uniforms,” Marinette said, her voice sickly sweet as she walked Chloe to the door.

 _Aaah_ , Juleka thought. _Point for Marinette._ She could see how Marinette made it as Ladybug.

“Hmm. Kim, Max, come with me,” Chloe said, snapping her fingers at the two boys. “You’ve just been promoted to wardrobe and bodyguard.” Kim and Max exchanged helpless glances, then grudgingly stood to follow Chloe. Never mind that neither of them were in need of promotions and that Chloe had zero authority. Despite their loss, Juleka was just glad to see her go. Chloe, Sabrina, Kim, and Max all filed out of the classroom.

“Nice going, Miss Producer. Now we have no lead. _Again_ ,” Nino said, perhaps the only one left in the room sad to see Chloe go. Juleka glanced up at Adrien. He was outright smiling.

“Yeah, but now we’ve just gotten rid of Chloe,” Marinette said slyly.

“And now what?” Nino asked, still annoyed but unable to deny that Chloe wasn’t the biggest asset.

“We go find Mylene, she’s here somewhere,” Marinette insisted. Juleka’s eyes drifted away from the new argument brewing. Everyone was saying the same words over again. Her gaze settled on Alya. She watched as something clicked in the girl’s brain, lighting up her eyes and spreading a sly grin across her face. She glanced from Marinette to Adrien and back again, her grin widening. Juleka had a couple guesses as to what she was thinking as she strolled over to Nino and Marinette.

“I told you, tick tock. There’s no time. We need a lead _now_ ,” Nino said harshly.

“Marinette can do it,” Alya said, sliding right into the conversation before Marinette could respond.

“What?” Marinette squawked, frantically waving one hand. Alya stood behind her with her hands on her shoulders, effectively blocking her escape. Juleka noticed Adrien straighten beside her. She looked up at him. He was watching Marinette protest with a little smile. There was some emotion flickering across his face. Was that…hope?

Why was Adrien Agreste, King of Obliviousness, suddenly hopeful about acting alongside Marinette Dupain-Cheng, about having to kiss her?

Juleka didn’t think it was a development in his romantic feelings. Adrien was worse than transparent and he literally did not look at Marinette that way. But the fact remained: he was hopeful.

He was hopeful and his freaking bruise was showing again.

“Damn it,” Juleka muttered, reaching up to attack Adrien’s face again.

“Is everything okay?” Adrien asked quietly.

“I don’t know why, but the bruise keeps showing through,” Juleka muttered back. She could make Rose into fairies, demons, animals, _other people_ , heck she’d even made her a literal rose one time. And yet, she was being defeated by his damn bruise. Juleka was annoyed. Adrien’s eyes widened and his fingers flew up to his cheek. Juleka slapped them away. Adrien’s eyes widened even more. “Stop touching it and _stop sweating_.”

“I would if I could,” Adrien said, grinning down at Juleka as she continued to dust makeup along his cheek.

“Reset for scene one, take sixteen,” Nino called. The tech director and his right hand man had both been commandeered by Chloe, but Nathanaël, Alix, and even Ivan and Nino had reset for scene one so many times that they didn’t even need them. Juleka focused on making sure that Adrien had enough foundation on his face to cover a rhino. The tactic hadn’t worked before, but she didn’t know what else to do.

“Hey guys,” Rose said, bringing over another serving platter. “You missed out on that juice earlier,” she said brightly, holding out the platter, and the plastic cup resting on it, to Adrien.

“Thank you, Rose,” Adrien said, taking the cup. Juleka paused, letting him down the juice in a quick swig and place the cup back on the platter before returning to his cheek. She had the damn thing memorized by now. She’d be seeing that bruise in her nightmares.

“Doesn’t Marinette need makeup too?” Alix asked from Juleka’s elbow. Juleka didn’t stop her brushing.

“Marinette’s looking over lines,” Juleka said, though she was pretty sure that Marinette was more focused on Adrien than lines. Juleka kept accidentally meeting her eyes when she glanced away from Adrien's face.

“Can’t she do that while she’s being all…” Alix gestured at Adrien’s face.

“All what?” Juleka asked. She saw Adrien’s lips twitch.

“You know. _That_ ,” Alix said, waving the clapperboard at Adrien’s face again.

“You’re going to have to be more specific, Alix,” Juleka deadpanned, finally looking down at her. Alix had her face screwed up. Adrien was fighting to keep his smile contained.

“ _Makeupped_. Can’t she look at her lines while she’s being _makeupped_ ,” Alix said, glaring at Juleka. “There. I said it. Are you happy?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Juleka said, returning to Adrien’s cheek. He was outright grinning now and Rose was giggling. “But I was told to work on Adrien, so that’s what I’m doing.”

“Okay, let’s move it dudes,” Nino said. Adrien moved to his position and Juleka followed him, still brushing at his face in a last ditch effort to make it _stay_. Marinette was already in position and curled in a little as she came within touching distance of Adrien. She looked up at him like she was looking at a statue in an art museum and she seemed like she was going to burst. Juleka wondered how she made it through school every day. Juleka wondered how this dork didn’t know that she was staring at Chat Noir. The more she watched these two, the more she wondered how oblivious they could possibly get.

“Totally unbelievable,” Marinette squeaked. Unbelievable indeed.

Adrien opened his eyes and looked down at Marinette.

“What’s that?” he asked in a tone of voice that Juleka could only interpret as…

Was Adrien freaking Agreste acting _smug_ right now?

Juleka moved away to pick up one of the light reflectors, watching over her shoulder as Marinette short circuited under Adrien's gaze. She watched Adrien place his hand on Marinette’s shoulder, speaking to her in a soft voice. She watched him _pull Marinette closer_.

What was going on with Adrien?

“Ready to roll?” Nino asked, moving into his own place and raising his phone. “Camera!” He finally sounded less grumpy. Juleka had to admit, things were working out a little better.

“Horrificator, take sixteen,” Alix said, still sounding incredibly bored.

Marinette wasn’t the best actor, but she knew the lines (unlike someone) and she was there (unlike several someones) and actually managed to look Adrien in the eye (unlike herself). She glanced down shyly before they began to lean in for the kiss, which wasn’t really in character, but was kinda cute. The take actually looked decent…

But Juleka really should have known that things were going too well.

The classroom door came crashing open moments before Marinette and Adrien’s lips touched and Chloe stormed into the room.

“Cut!” Chloe screamed. Marinette and Adrien jumped apart. Chloe’s slightly crazed eyes narrowed in on Marinette. “I knew it!”

“What did I say about other people saying cut?” Nino complained, though he was more defeated now than he was angry.

“Well played, Marinette,” Chloe said. Juleka felt sorry for Marinette. A compliment from Chloe could hardly feel good. “All that speech about working together, then you stab me right in the back.” Juleka could admit that Chloe had a point, but she was hardly one to talk about backstabbing.

“Well, your stupid little movie won’t make it into the festival if I’m not in it, because my daddy is one of the judges!” Chloe shouted inches from Marinette’s face.

Of course. Of course her father was one of the judges. Of course Chloe would deliver this ultimatum. Juleka wasn’t surprised in the least. Today was one of those days when absolutely everything that could go wrong, _did_.

That was when the screams started.

 

Well, maybe there was hope for the day after all…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next on Powers of Invisibility: Juleka gets a little sarcastic.


	7. Obliviousness and Other Extreme Sports

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juleka discovers where those screams were coming from, judges just about everyone, and does an awful lot of running.

“Did you guys hear that?” Adrien asked, looking from person to person with a raised eyebrow.

 _Teenage boys screaming like little girls at the tops of their lungs?_ Juleka thought. _No, Adrien, no we did not hear that. We all just froze for absolutely no reason because we thought it would be_ fun.

Juleka mentally reigned herself in. Getting sarcastic was not a good sign. Over the years, she’d picked up the bad habit of getting more and more sarcastic, the more frustrated she got. It usually resulted in everyone getting really confused and someone feeling insulted. And _that_ was just at Christmas.

A whole morning of Mylene getting discouraged, Chloe getting assertive, Marinette fighting to keep peace, Nino fighting to get a movie done, Alya fighting for artistic integrity, no air conditioning, an abnormally determined bruise, and a distinct lack of interaction with Rose?

Juleka really, really hoped that they were getting attacked.

Juleka refocused on the matter at hand when the screams sounded again. The odds kept getting better and better.

“I definitely heard _that_ ,” Marinette said, looking out of the window. “We better scope this out.”

 _Okay, Ladybug, calm down, you’re not wearing your spots just yet_ , Juleka thought. Seriously. How was her identity secret? When Marinette dashed from the room, everyone else fell in line behind her without question like soldiers following their commander or civilians following a superhero. Juleka jogged after them. She wasn’t going to miss this for the world.

“A fruity snack for the road?” Rose called. Juleka paused and backtracked into the room, smiling back at her best friend as she held out her hand. She wasn’t gonna miss this for the world, so her world would have to come along.

Rose kept a tight hold on the orange she had in one hand as she bounced down the stairs and slid her free hand into Juleka’s, a shaky smile crossing her face. Juleka pulled her along, running after the others. Still, she spared a moment to appreciate the feel of Rose’s hand clutched in hers.

“Hey! Anybody here?” Adrien was calling as the students spilled out into the courtyard. Juleka released Rose’s hand and planted herself between Adrien and Marinette so that she could watch (judge) both heroes at once. Marinette was standing in one spot, eyes fixed on the ground. Nino came up behind her, his phone raised to film whatever was happening.

Juleka had her fingers crossed for an akuma.

“Kim? Max? Where are you guys?” Adrien called, drifting over to where Marinette and Nino stood. Juleka craned her head to see what they were looking at. There were globs of iridescent goo and…an armband. Juleka felt dread trickle down into her stomach at the same time as excitement bubbled up out of it.

“I saw the same pink goo…” Marinette said, then gasped. “The bathroom!”

The goo screamed akuma.

Who among the people known to be somewhere in the building was upset enough to become an akuma?

Who had last been seen in the bathroom?

Juleka was pretty sure that there was an akuma and that the akuma was Mylene. The questions were a)where was she now and b)what had happened to Max and Kim?

Marinette picked up the armband, carrying it over to Adrien. He immediately gasped. Juleka could already tell that the day would involve a lot of gasping. Most horror films do.

“That’s Kim’s,” Adrien said, confirming Juleka’s suspicion.

“They vanished!” Nathanaël cried, his hands flying to his head in full panic mode. Juleka eyed her friend and decided that he’d be fine within a few minutes. He had a flair for the dramatic, but he usually managed to keep it together. She looked down at Rose to see if she was okay. Juleka could see fear lurking in her eyes, but she wasn’t panicking. In fact, she looked determined. Rose looked up at Juleka, her jaw set.

“I won’t be afraid this time,” she whispered to Juleka. Juleka felt her face go all gooey. She found Rose’s hand and squeezed it.

Juleka returned to watching Marinette and Adrien as they talked, taking charge. Marinette wasn’t stuttering at Adrien at all. He didn’t seem to notice. She wondered if they even realized that they were working together. It certainly didn’t seem like it. They were acting separately, only coordinating because they were so used to another person by their side. They had no clue that their normal partner was their current one.

How oblivious could they get?

“We should go to Principal Damocles’ office and tell him what’s going on,” Marinette said, turning away from Adrien to address the group. Adrien immediately started edging away, trying to slip off as discreetly as possible.

Which apparently for Adrien meant not discreetly at all.

“Yo, Adrien, where you goin’?” Nino asked suddenly, swinging his camera to point at Adrien as he oh-so-subtly tip-toed away from the group. He froze, swinging around to face Nino with a surprisingly normal expression.

“I left Officer Jones’ jacket back there,” Adrien said smoothly. “Should probably wear it in all the scenes.” He turned and bolted for the stairs before Nino could say a word. Juleka was astounded. Both by Adrien’s explanation and Nino’s willing _acceptance_ of it.

 _Oh yes, we just heard screaming and no fewer than_ three _classmates have already gone missing, so what should I do? Go and get a jacket so that I’m in costume when we go looking for a possibly hostile monster. Don’t even worry about the fact that_ I don’t even have a costume.

Juleka shook her head at Adrien’s retreating back.

_Seriously?_

Juleka turned and followed the other students as they proceeded towards Principal Damocles’s office. Alya got there first, knocking on the door.

“Mr. Damocles? Sir?” Alya asked. She tentatively opened the door when she didn’t receive a response. They all gasped at what they saw.

Principal Damocles’s office was covered in that same iridescent orange-pink goo and the man himself was nowhere to be seen.

“Even Principal Damocles is nowhere to be found,” Rose said, a note of worry entering her voice. Juleka gave her hand another squeeze before entering the room after the others. She wasn’t surprised to see that Marinette had not followed. She wondered how long it’d be before Chat Noir and Ladybug showed up.

Rose moved ahead of her, following Nino around the desk. She looked at Principal Damocles’s chair mournfully. Juleka stepped closer to a glob of goo on the bookshelf, reaching out a finger to poke it. It wasn’t gooey like she’d expected. It was actually pretty hard, like it’d shatter rather than splatter.

“Anyone seen Agent Smith?” Nino asked suddenly, interrupting Juleka’s inspection. “I mean, Marinette?” The group gasped as they all realized that Marinette was gone. Juleka returned to the goo on the bookshelf. Marinette would be returning sooner or later. The others didn’t know that, however, and rushed out into the hallway. Juleka heard them discussing Marinette, but she was much more concerned with the weird pink light that was now taking over the room.

Juleka looked around to see more goo slowly seeping over the window. She moved closer, entranced by the movement of the stuff. It wasn’t going to be winning any races, but the window was completely covered by the time Juleka reached it. She guessed that most of the building was probably covered by now.

“Crazy,” Juleka said to herself. This had to be the most interesting akuma she’d seen yet. Juleka knew that the others had discovered the newest development as Chloe rushed up beside her. She uselessly pulled at the window.

“We’re trapped!” Chloe cried, climbing down from the window ledge and pulling out her cellphone. “I’m going to call Daddy.” For once, Juleka wasn’t annoyed by that, but she doubted it’d do much good even if she did get service.

“Dudes, you know cellphones never work in horror movies,” Nino said, sounding entirely too pleased with their situation. Juleka agreed with Nino, but everyone still pulled out their phones to check.

“No bars,” Ivan groaned. Yup.

“No coverage,” Nathanaël said, obviously still on the edge of panic. Double yup.

“Told you so. Boo-yah!” Nino said, smugness oozing out of every pore. Way too pleased.

Not that Juleka was in any position to talk. Her day was already ten times better.

Another collective gasp had Juleka turning around. She was unsurprised to find Ladybug standing in the doorway.

“Is everything okay?” Ladybug asked, her stance fierce and strong.

 _Yes, Ladybug. We’re stuck inside of a school building with a monster with a penchant for kidnapping children and a massive grudge. We’re just dandy_ , Juleka thought. She did a double take at her own thoughts. The morning must have affected her more than she thought. By the time Juleka got her own sarcasm back in hand (for the moment), everyone had finished freaking out about Ladybug and the hero was all business.

“We’ve got to calmly evacuate the building, okay everyone?” Ladybug said, moving into the room. Juleka wondered when…

“Uh-uh,” a male voice said. Yet another collective gasp went around as everyone looked back at the doorway to see Chat Noir lounging there. Right on cue. “Easier said than done, Ladybug.”

“Double legit!” Nino squeaked. The boy looked like he’d died and gone to heaven as he raised his phone to capture the superheroes at work.

“I tried to cut through the goo, but it’s no good,” Chat Noir continued, still casually leaning against the door frame. “So, looks like we’re trapped inside the school for now. Just stay put and try to relax guys.” Chat Noir finally pushed away from the door frame, his hands linking behind his head as he strutted towards Ladybug.

He strutted. The boy freaking _strutted_.

“Shall we take a stroll, my Lady,” Chat Noir said, guiding Ladybug off to the side with an arm around her shoulder. Juleka watched in fascination, doing all she could not to laugh.

Chat Noir lounged and he smirked and he strutted and he put his arm around a pretty girl. This was the person Juleka saw when Adrien flashed a smug glance at Marinette. This was…This was…

Fascinating.

Juleka watched Ladybug and Chat Noir the way one would watch a particularly interesting insect. Ladybug wasn’t all that different from the Marinette that showed up when she was given responsibility. Fiercer maybe, a little more focused, but exhibiting the same determination and sense of righteousness. Chat Noir also made his appearances in Adrien under the right circumstances. But the way they interacted with one another was something that Juleka hadn’t seen from either of them. The way they spoke, leaning in close to one another, serious (for the most part) and confident in their speech. Juleka felt a smile tug at her lips as she watched Chat Noir lean in for a kiss and Ladybug quite clearly brush him off. They didn’t know, they couldn’t possibly know, or they wouldn’t interact so differently in and out of their spandex uniforms.

Nino slid up next to the two heroes with his camera, effectively ending their conversation. Chat Noir looked as sad about that as Juleka felt. She enjoyed watching them at work.

“Stay together, right behind us,” Ladybug said, moving away from Chat and Nino. She glanced back at them, one still filming the other reverently. She rolled her eyes and grabbed Nino’s arm, dragging him along. “That means you too, Spielberg.”

Juleka joined Rose as they filed out of the classroom after Ladybug and Chat Noir. They started running again, and Juleka immediately felt the uncharacteristic heat in the school as she grudgingly started running after everyone else, focusing on the winged back in front of her. She didn’t appreciate that they seemed to be required to run everywhere, but this was interesting enough that she did it anyway.

Ladybug was following a trail of pink goo. Down the stairs, across the courtyard, up some more stairs. The trail ended back in the classroom. They all spilled into the space, looking around once again.

Juleka’s gaze fell on Nathanaël. He wasn’t hyperventilating anymore. Juleka figured that his gaze settled firmly on Ladybug was helping with that. However, his eyes were still wide with panic and his hands were fluttering at his sides. Juleka put a hand on his shoulder and he looked up at her. They didn’t exchange words, but her gaze seemed to steady him somewhat. His hands stopped shaking at least.

“There,” Ladybug cried, pointing at a shoe in the middle of the floor. Adrien’s shoe.

“Anyone recognize this shoe?” Chat Noir asked. His shoulders were hunched up in a dramatic shrug and his eyes were flicking around the room without landing on a single face.

_Seriously?_

“That’s Adrien’s shoe,” Nino said, kneeling next to the shoe as he filmed with his camera.

“That’s weird,” Ladybug said, also kneeling. “There’s no pink slime here.”

 _It’s almost like this person just wants you to think they’ve been kidnapped_ , Juleka thought, watching Chat flinch with amusement. As his face paled, she noticed the outline of a familiar bruise.

 _Damn it_ , Juleka thought. She’d hoped that the makeup would hold or that the problem would magically go away when Adrien transformed. She decided not to worry about it. Chat Noir was allowed to have bruises where Adrien wasn’t and Juleka was probably the only person who had that particular bruise memorized.

“Yes, there is,” Nathanaël said, his voice high and nervous as he poked at goo clinging to the desk. Juleka looked down just in time to see a tentacle reach out from behind the desk, wrap around Nathanaël's waist, and drag him behind the desk, an unnatural screech drowning out his yelp. The desk shook as the weird sound continued. Then, it was blasted over their heads and against the wall. There it stood. The akuma. Mylene.

The monster stood tall and Juleka wondered briefly how it had ever hidden behind the desk when it was easily twice the size of it. It reared up, its pink torso fading to purple at its extremities, including the tentacles on its head and its tail, curled around the completely freaked Nathanaël. Its mouth gaped wide. Its three eyes stared up at the ceiling.

Three eyes. Tentacles on the head. Mylene had turned into the monster from their movie: the Horrificator.

“Everybody, run!” Ladybug cried. Juleka heard screams behind her as the others fled, but she stayed were she was, watching in fascination as the Horrificator visibly grew. Something was feeding it, growing it. Juleka looked up at this creature, a true monster for the first time since the akumas began, the product of the imaginations of a couple of kids making a movie, the fear of one girl, the cruelty of another. Mylene was not helpless now.

“Awesome,” Juleka said as she smiled up at the Horrificator. Imaginations brought to life. Imaginations screaming at her with such force that her bangs blew back from her face. Revenge and sacrifice and redemption. “So awesome.”

Then the Horrificator shrank.

Screaming at _her_ and looking at _her_ and trying to frighten _her_ , the Horrificator lost power. Why?

It couldn't have been because of _Juleka_. She didn’t have super powers. She didn’t turn into a hero, she couldn’t destroy or create or leap tall buildings. But something about her…

Mylene had been so afraid and the Horrificator had been the face of her fear. Now it was the face she wore. Did she become the Horrificator so that she could scare others? It would make sense that that was what it was feeding on. It was certainly in abundant supply. That is, it was in abundant supply everywhere _except in Juleka_. She knew that Mylene was still in there, knew that their heroes would find a way to save them, didn’t see a point in being afraid. And that was a weapon. Juleka was a weapon.

Juleka had never had power before.

All of this flashed through Juleka’s mind as she gaped up at the monster and then Ladybug’s hand was on Juleka’s arm and she was being dragged from the room, from the coolest thing she’d ever seen, from the only thing she’d ever been able to influence.

“Ladybug-” Juleka started, intent on sharing her information. Ladybug pushed her forward, already turning back to the room.

“Go to the others,” Ladybug commanded, running back into the classroom.

“But-” Juleka said, taking a step back towards the action.

“Juleka!” another voice called, one Juleka couldn’t ignore. Rose was standing at the bottom of the stairs, a few steps away from the knot of scared looking students. She looked up at Juleka with wide eyes. She’d been trying so hard not to be afraid, but she was terrified now. Juleka turned away from the classroom without a second thought, moving down the stairs quickly and taking Rose’s outstretched hand.

“It’s okay,” Juleka said, squeezing Rose’s hand as she led her over to the other students. “We need to get somewhere safe. Ladybug and Chat Noir have this under control.”

Ladybug and Chat Noir came flying over the second floor railing.

The Horrificator came flying after them.

“Help!” Nathanaël screamed, quite clearly panicking as he flew through the air, still firmly wrapped in the Horrificator’s tail. The Horrificator reared back as Ladybug and Chat Noir moved to stand in front of it. Nathanaël struggled against his bonds, still crying out. The rest of them cowered against the wall, Ivan in front, Alya in back. Juleka would have preferred somewhere with cover, but it was too late to move without attracting attention now.

Which, of course was exactly what happened as Ivan stepped back a little. The Horrificator’s gaze swung their direction. It closed its eyes as it grew again. Juleka wondered briefly if she should get in front, maybe then…

“Fear,” Ladybug said, starting to swing her yoyo. “It’s fear that gives it its strength.” Her outburst drew Horrificator’s gaze. It turned to Ladybug, newly enlarged, opened its mouth, and started spewing.

It was super gross but also kind of impressive watching the Horrificator projectile vomit such massive amounts of goo. Ladybug’s yoyo swung impossibly fast, deflecting the goo as she fought to get close to the Horrificator. But the heroes were outmatched this time. In moments, Chat was glued to the second floor railing and Ladybug was stuck in the basketball hoop. Then, the Horrificator turned towards the rest of them.

Rose screamed as they backed away. Juleka squeezed her hand tighter, her chest constricting with a bolt of worry. She couldn’t help but feel worry with Rose on the line. If she jumped in front of Ivan, would the monster only grow? What could Juleka do when their heroes had been cemented?

Juleka wondered if doubt and worry counted as fear.

The Horrificator grew as it approached them step by step. It loomed above Ivan, its eyes narrowing as it stared down at them.

But then they widened. The ever-present growling stopped. The Horrificator stopped. It wasn’t looking at _them_. It was looking at _Ivan_. Juleka had only a brief moment to wonder if this was a good thing before the Horrificator opened its mouth…

And licked him. The Horrificator lolled out a giant blue tongue and _licked_ Ivan.

If Juleka had had any doubts about the akuma’s identity before (which she hadn’t) they would have been obliterated now because that wasn’t the monster licking Ivan. That was Mylene recognizing someone that had been on her side.

Of course, it was still the monster that snaked its tail forward, missing Rose by _centimeters_ as it wrapped around Alix. Her screams mingled with Nathanaël’s as the Horrificator lurched away, leaving Juleka, Rose, Alya, Nino, and an extremely confused Ivan behind. It moved surprisingly fast, disappearing into a classroom in seconds.

“Oh, no!” Rose cried, her hand tightening convulsively around Juleka’s. “It’s taking Nath and Alix!” Juleka squeezed Rose’s hand in return.

“The more scared people are of it, the more powerful it gets,” Ladybug’s voice floated up from behind the backboard of the basketball hoop. "By defeating fear, we defeat it.” It was true. Juleka knew that. She also knew that it was much easier said than done. Rose was vibrating with her fear. Ivan kept staring at his hand. Even Alya the experienced superhero reporter was breathing more heavily than normal, though she may have just been tired of running. Juleka certainly was.

“Okay, but first we gotta get out of this sticky situation quickly before it dries,” Chat Noir said from his place on the railing. He had a good point. Chat’s baton extended suddenly, smashing into the backboard of the basketball hoop. The board cracked and then it was falling, Ladybug yelping before landing on her feet. Perhaps that was why she was less than gentle in yanking Chat from the railing with her yoyo.

Ladybug and Chat Noir bolted towards the door, but Juleka knew it was a waste of time. The same goo that kept them trapped in the school was covering the windows of the classroom.

“Has anyone seen Chloe or Sabrina lately?” Alya asked suddenly. Juleka looked over at her, then around. Juleka wondered how she hadn’t noticed the distinct lack of complaining. She met the eyes of the other four students left standing, understanding passing through the nervous glances. Then, they were all running over to the conversing superheroes.

“Where are Sabrina and Chloe?” Alya asked as they came up to them.

“We’ll find them, don’t worry,” Ladybug said firmly. She turned to Chat Noir, her confidence slipping a bit. “If we can find a way out of here.”

At that moment, a screech, and also the creature’s yowl, reached their ears, originating from somewhere on the other side of the courtyard. Chat Noir and Ladybug immediately shot off towards the sound, the others following close behind. Chat Noir kicked open the door, heavy metal lockers clanging to the floor on the inside.

“We’re too late,” Chat Noir said, deflating a little as they entered the empty classroom.

“But look!” Ladybug said, kneeling next to yet another pink glob. She looked back up at Chat with hope in her eyes. “We can track the monster.”

Then, they were running. Again.

The trail led to the same door they had previously been cowering against. Juleka didn’t see how the monster had managed to slip past them, but she also didn’t know anyone else who left behind globs of iridescent pink goo.

“I’m so amped!” Nino said, pumping his fist as he continued to film. Juleka could understand how he felt. They were closing in. Rose, however, gave him an almost affronted look. As affronted as Rose could get anyways.

“Turn your amp down to about four, will ya?” Chat Noir said, looking at Nino with an exasperated expression.

“My bad,” Nino said, looking appropriately subdued. Chat Noir turned to the door, grasping the handle and pulling. The door shouldn’t have been unlocked, but it swung open with ease, squeaking softly.

Then, yet again, they were running. Juleka had filled her running quota for the next month.

They dashed down the hallway, going deeper and deeper into restricted parts of the school. Juleka wondered if any of them had spared a thought during their chase for what would happen when they found the Horrificator. Their encounters with the creature hadn’t exactly turned out so well before. However, Juleka’s thoughts were quickly dismissed when they reached the end of the hallway and her breath caught, same as everybody else’s.

The large room looked like something out of a video game. Large, bulbous capsules covered the floor and hung from the ceiling, shimmering in the dim light of the room. It was nearly beautiful, the way the colorful capsules clustered together, filling the space with splashes of iridescent color. It would have been beautiful if Juleka hadn’t had a sneaking suspicion about what those capsules contained; if they didn’t look like egg sacks, waiting to spawn dangerous creatures.

Juleka felt Rose fumble for her hand again.

“Anybody in here?” Ladybug called, body tensed in a fighting stance. Juleka thought she heard the swish of a large body moving.

“Ladybug, it’s me!” a voice called, slightly muffled. Juleka groaned internally. She didn’t realize how much she hadn’t missed that voice. “Chloe Bourgeois!”

“Don’t worry. We’ll get you out of there,” Ladybug called back, looking around the room.

“Well, hurry it up already,” Chloe’s disgruntled voice called back. That was Chloe alright.

“Is everyone here?” Ladybug called, moving further into the room. Chat Noir followed her lead, moving in among the capsules. Juleka stayed by the entrance to the hallway, Rose still clutching her hand. Juleka could feel her shivering. Where it had been too hot in the school, it was too cold down here. But Juleka didn’t think that was why Rose was shivering. Juleka stayed silent, trying to impart comfort to Rose through the death grip she had on her hand.

Juleka watched Chat Noir and Ladybug do a roll call of the encapsulated victims. She didn’t think it was a smart move on their part. First of all, they didn’t know where the Horrificator was, so moving into the clusters of capsules shouting at the top of their lungs was just begging for an ambush. Second of all, they couldn’t check to see if _everyone_ was there because they couldn’t know who all was missing. Third of all, it was mostly an exercise in futility because if they just focused on purifying the akuma, all of these people would be safe anyways. _Fourth_ of all, it was kind of dangerous for them because-

“Adrien? Adrien!” Ladybug called, her voice taking on an edge of panic when she didn’t hear a response.

Adrien and Marinette were both supposed to have been kidnapped by the monster.

Juleka shook her head as she watched Chat flinch and duck behind a capsule.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” Chat called, not sounding remotely different than he had a moment before. Ladybug still looked relieved, completely missing the fact that Adrien’s voice was not muffled like the others. Now there was only one person they hadn’t checked-

“What about Marinette?”

And there it was.

“Yeah, we’ve got everyone,” Ladybug called back more or less smoothly.

They _really_ didn’t know. Juleka had already figured that out, but seeing it in action was just _crazy_. Adrien and Chat Noir literally had the same voice and Ladybug didn’t even notice.

“It won’t budge,” Ladybug grunted, trying and failing to break open a capsule. Voices began to rise from all sides as all of the abducted began to call for help.

“Just try and calm down. We’ll find a way to get you out of here,” Ladybug called.

Juleka ducked as bright pink goo came flying at their heads. No, not _at_ their heads. _Over_ them. The goo somehow splattered across the open space behind them, sealing off the exit.

Fantastic.

Juleka looked back up at the source to see the Horrificator leap down in front of Ladybug, bigger than ever. Ladybug backed away. A small goo egg suddenly hit the Horrificator and everyone (including the akuma) turned to see Chat Noir holding some smaller capsules. He dropped his ammo and bolted as the Horrificator shot goo at him. Chat Noir proceeded to lead the Horrificator in a chase around the large room, doing his best to distract the monster while Ladybug used her Lucky Charm.

Juleka kept her eyes on Chat Noir as he stayed just step ahead of the akuma. She saw him get frustrated as he stopped in front of the monster. His shout of _cataclysm_ echoed around the room as he leapt upwards, dragging his hand across bars. Against all odds, the bars fell in the exact right pattern to trap the Horrificator, somehow still sturdy enough to contain the monster. Juleka would have continued gaping, trying to figure out how _that_ made sense, but a box was suddenly shoved into her hands.

Juleka looked around to see that they had all been given seemingly random objects. Rose held two trashcan lids, confusion painting her face. Alya and Nino had traffic cones. Ivan had a dust pan and a hand broom. Juleka lifted her box, not seeing where Ladybug was going with this. As the box shifted, something moved within it, creating a soft, but pleasant cascade of sound. Ladybug herself had stretched what looked like guitar strings between a broom and an overturned tub.

“Okay,” Ladybug said, turning to them. Juleka couldn’t see what the heck they were doing, but Ladybug looked confident.

“Okay, we’re all going to sing,” Ladybug said.

Ah, Juleka thought, understanding flooding through her. Mylene had been singing that song to herself all morning in order to calm herself down. If they could calm her now…

“Sing?” Chat Noir said as he dropped down next to her. “So that’s your plan?”

“The only way to get through this is to get your fear under control,” Ladybug said, her face resolute. However, when she turned to the rest of them, there was a flash of mischief in her eyes. “You all know Smelly Wolf, don’t you?”

“Seriously? Smelly Wolf?” Chat Noir asked. Ladybug only held out a trashcan lid.

“Care to join us?” Ladybug asked, her voice a challenge as much as it was a flirtation. Chat Noir raised an eyebrow before he accepted the lid, then proceeded to set up an entire makeshift drum set from the materials on hand. Trashcan, metal tub, plastic water container, brooms. Juleka looked at their rag tag band. It was amusing to see them all waiting anxiously with their makeshift instruments. It was such a Marinette solution masquerading as a Ladybug plan.

Juleka assumed that neither Ladybug nor Chat Noir had caught on to the fact that they could only have known about Mylene’s song if they’d known Mylene. If they’d been there that morning.

It would have been too insightful for the two of them.

“Okay, everyone,” Ladybug said, turning her gaze to the Horrificator, who seemed surprisingly calm trapped in its makeshift cage. “One, two, three, four!” Ladybug began strumming the guitar strings and, despite the fact that that is definitely not how guitars work, music began to flow from the strings. Ladybug sang along with her strumming.

“Smelly wolf, smelly wolf, trapped in the stinky hut…”

Everyone exchanged glances with one another as if to verify that they were really doing this before they all lifted their “instruments.”

Their music was not good. It just wasn’t. The beat was off, they weren’t all in the same key, and Ladybug’s instrument was the only one that actually sounded like an instrument, though Juleka assumed that that was a magic thing. They didn’t sound good, but they were having fun in a weird saving-the-city kind of way. Rose looked positively delighted as she bashed her trashcan lids completely out of time, her eyes fixed on the Horrificator with an adorable look of concentration.

Juleka also turned to look at the Horrificator, watching for its response. It wasn’t immediate, but once they all got into the song, it began to shrink. Once it started, it simply kept shrinking, smaller and smaller. By the time they finished the song, the Horrificator was the size of a small dog and about as horrifying. It slipped through its bars and leapt into Ivan’s arms. Juleka watched in fascination as the monster burrowed into Ivan’s elbow, shaking and trilling under his gentle touch.

“That’s the same button I gave Mylene,” Ivan said, staring down at the Horrificator’s head in astonishment.

“That’s where the akuma is,” Ladybug said, smiling up at Ivan as she plucked the button off of the little monster. She casually crushed the button in her fingers, releasing a dark purple butterfly. Ladybug purified it in short order, then tossed the guitar strings in the air with her signature phrase. The resulting rush of red provided a welcome breeze. It flowed over the capsules, leaving a group of confused teens and a handful of unlucky adults on the floor and wiping away the fantastical atmosphere. Where before the room had glittered with pink goo, now it was all gray walls and metal pipes. It seemed smaller somehow.

Juleka glanced over at Ivan, a little sad that her life had a little less magic in it, but glad to see Mylene back at his side. Ivan held her hands in his like they were fragile. Juleka was unsurprised when Mylene jumped up and pressed her lips to Ivan’s.

And just like that, it was over.

As they traipsed back upstairs to pack up the equipment for the shoot (Nino had excitedly pronounced that he had _plenty_ of footage), Juleka reviewed in her head the sheer number of things that Marinette and Adrien had managed to miss:

The fact that civilians Marinette and Adrien had only appeared once Ladybug and Chat Noir had disappeared and were not actually noticed until they got up to the courtyard.

The fact that Ladybug and Chat Noir had both known Mylene.

The awkward stuttering that ensued when the two were asked about their abductions and what is was like inside the capsules.

The smug smiles on their faces and unexplained blushes as their classmates gushed about their saviors.

Each of them separately and subtly checking Nino’s footage to ensure that there wasn’t anything revealing on tape.

Each of them separately and not so subtly puffing up with pride as they watched themselves fight the akuma.

So many things. So many things that both heroes had completely failed to notice. How could they possibly-

“Juleka?” a voice interrupted Juleka’s amused thoughts. She looked up from packing her makeup kit to see Adrien standing there. He was rubbing his neck awkwardly. Juleka noticed that he had replaced the makeup at some point. The bruise was no longer very visible. Juleka nodded at him, pausing her packing to give him her attention.

“I just wanted to thank you for working so hard today,” Adrien said, smiling at her. Juleka stepped a little closer to the bench to make way for Kim passing by with a light.

“I didn’t do all that much,” Juleka said, looking back at Adrien. He shook his head quickly.

“No, you did. You really helped me out with the…” Adrien trailed off, looking awkward again.

“I won’t tell anyone about it,” Juleka said quietly, returning to her packing so that Adrien could be awkward without her eyes boring into him. She saw him jump out of the corner of her eye.

“W- what?” Adrien asked, his voice slightly higher than normal.

“Bruises can be embarrassing,” Juleka said, taking pity on him and giving him an out. “I won’t tell anyone.” Juleka could practically feel the relief flow out of him.

Honestly, how did no one know this ridiculously transparent boy was secretly a superhero? How?

“Thanks, Juleka,” Adrien said. Juleka looked up from her packing to meet his eye. He smiled down at her gratefully.

“No problem,” Juleka said. With that, Adrien turned and walked away. Juleka finished packing her bag and moved over to where Rose was surveying her hospitality table sadly. She looked up at Juleka with wide eyes.

“There’s so much food left,” Rose said, looking back down at the substantial spread with a sigh.

“Everyone liked it,” Juleka assured. “They were just kinda busy with the shooting and the running for their lives.”

“That’s true,” Rose said a little more cheerfully, her head perking up. She looked at the food for a second more before she truly brightened. She turned back to Juleka with her eyes shining. “Do you wanna help me take all this to the homeless shelter?” Juleka allowed a smile to leak onto her face.

“Of course,” Juleka said, already moving to pack up the cupcakes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next on Powers of Invisibility: Adrien and Marinette aren't the only ones who are oblivious.


	8. Death to Cupid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juleka's day starts out bad, gets a whole lot better, gets a whole lot worse, and finally ends on a fluffy note.

Most days, Juleka could deal. She could deal with the fact that people didn’t see her. She could deal with the fact that she wasn’t going to get a cute school girl romance. She could deal with the fact that the girl she loved would never look at her in anything other than friendship. Most days Juleka could listen to Rose gush about romance and celebrity crushes and weddings and be fine, be supportive. Most days, she could find something to smile about, the way Rose’s eyes lit up, the way her fingers fluttered, the way her smile looked, all dreamy. Most days, Juleka could deal.

Today, Juleka was finding it very hard to deal. Today was a day of hearts and love and dates and flowers and chocolates and commercialism and expectations and heartbreak and loneliness. It was Valentine’s Day and Juleka was feeling a little bitter. Or a lot bitter. Either one.

“In most fairytales, the prince breaks the spell by kissing the princess,” Ms. Bustier said, continuing her lecture on classic depictions of romance. Juleka was blaming her bitterness on this lecture. It wasn’t true, of course, but she didn’t have anything else she was willing to blame. “Can anyone tell us why?”

 _Because of an aggressively heteronormative and misogynistic society based upon the idea that the only function of a woman is to marry and bear children_ , Juleka thought, her chin resting in her hand. She sighed as she felt Rose bolt up out of her chair.

“Because only love can conquer hate,” Rose said, her voice dreamy. Juleka knew that if she looked up at Rose, she’d see it all over her face. The eyes, the little smile, the hands clutched against her chest. Juleka knew the expression. She saw it often.

 _Right, we’ll just march over to Hawkmoth and_ love _him to death_ , Juleka thought, staring down at the desk as Max started rambling some statistic. _I’ll let Ladybug and Chat Noir know._ She knew that her sarcasm levels were getting dangerously high, but she ignored it for the same reason she tuned out of the lecture: she didn’t care.

At least, she didn’t _want_ to care. That didn’t stop her from tamping down on her sarcasm as the bell rang, forcing it back into a corner of her brain and telling it to stay. She knew that if she let it slip, Rose would be hurt.

Rose, standing in the aisle, smiling at her, waiting for her, loving this holiday, but not loving _her_ , not the way she wanted her to. And Juleka locked down her sarcasm because she didn’t want to hurt her. She rummaged up a smile to give her in return.

“Do you have plans for this afternoon?” Rose asked, bouncing down the stairs ahead of Juleka and turning to look up at her.

 _Bitterness_ , Juleka thought.

“Nope,” Juleka said. Rose’s smile widened a little. Juleka wondered if she was imagining the pink seeping into her cheeks.

“Neither do I,” Rose said, her voice a little shaky. Juleka looked down at her. Her hands were clasped in front of her and her gaze was fixed forwards, but her face was definitely pink. Juleka thought she looked…nervous? “Do you think…” Rose’s voice trailed off, unable to complete her sentence.

“Yes?” Juleka asked, curious now. What was making Rose so nervous?

“Do you wanna go on like a friend date?” Rose asked in a rush, her shoulders bunching up around her ears. Juleka stared down at her. Rose peeked up, squeaking when she met incredulous eyes. “As, like, friends, you know, since you don’t have any plans and I don’t have any plans and it’s Valentine’s Day and I brought a picnic basket and- and I thought that maybewecouldgotothepark?” Rose’s voice got smaller and smaller until she finished her sentence in a jumble of words. Juleka stopped walking, still staring down at Rose. She was turning from pink to red now. And she was asking for a friend date on Valentine’s Day.

She was so cute it wasn’t fair.

“Yeah, sure,” Juleka said, feeling a smile tug at her lips. She wondered just how pink her own face was. It only got worse when Rose finally looked up, her face glowing.

“Yeah?” she asked, almost breathless.

“Sounds like fun,” Juleka said with a firm nod. A date. A _friend_ date, Juleka reminded herself. But it was still a date. Rose started forward again and Juleka followed like a moth followed a flame.

Juleka had expected to go home and sulk. She had expected to indulge in her bitterness for the rest of the day, listening to sad songs and eating unhealthy food and feeling very, very sorry for herself just this once. However, Rose, as usual, had destroyed all of that. Her smiles shone through the dark spots in Juleka’s head and her ceaseless babble swept out vestiges of unhappiness. Sarcasm still lingered in that one shadowy corner, but how could Juleka stay bitter when she was watching her favorite person giggle at her own story?

“And that’s how I finally got Alix to admit that bunnies are the cutest,” Rose said, still giggling. Juleka smiled at her, swallowing her bite of sandwich.

“Did she actually say cute?” Juleka asked. Rose’s giggle turned into a pout.

“No, she said awesome, but the cute was implied,” Rose said, pouring more lemonade for Juleka. She watched the pale liquid splash into her cup, admiring Rose’s hard work. Rose took food and eating very seriously and this picnic was no exception. Pretty little sandwiches, sliced strawberries, snickerdoodles, lemonade, all of it homemade, all of it delicious. Juleka looked around the park, relishing the light breeze. It was a wonderful day and they had the park to themselves, at least for the moment.

“How’s the OTP of the year competition going?” Juleka asked, looking over the strawberries for her next victim. “Still think it’s going to be Ivan and Mylene?” Rose lit up, clasping her hands to her chest.

“There’s so much romance in the air this year,” Rose said happily. Juleka popped a strawberry in her mouth, savoring the taste as she listened to Rose. “Mylivan is the only official couple, but I've also got my eye on Ninalya, Chloim, Nathanette, Mix, a few others.”

“Are those ship names?” Juleka asked, trying to decipher what she was saying. Rose nodded proudly. “You gave real people ship names?”

“Come on, Juleka, it’s fun,” Rose giggled, taking a small bite of her sandwich. Juleka mulled it over while Rose chewed.

“Nope. Still seems weird,” Juleka said. Rose sighed.

“ _I_ like it,” Rose said, pouting a little. Juleka never could argue with that. Then Rose beamed, the nail in the coffin. “But the pair that almost everybody seems to be talking about is Adrienette.”

“Oh, really?” Juleka asked, smiling. She wasn’t really surprised. She liked to watch them too, even if she was mostly intrigued by a certain Super Secret.

“Yeah, the class ships them almost as much as everybody ships Ladynoir,” Rose said. Juleka chuckled, shaking her head.

“Ladybug and Chat Noir?” she asked. Rose nodded, pleased with herself. If only Rose knew how astute her comparison really was…

“Everyone loves the idea of them together,” Rose said, picking up the bottle of lemonade. “Superheroes in love? It sounds so romantic. So cute. So wonderful.” Rose sighed dreamily as she uncapped the bottle.

“Speaking of cute and wonderful,” Juleka said, leaning back against the bench and swallowing another strawberry. Rose perked up as she poured herself more lemonade. “Did you hear that Prince Ali is going to visit Paris?” The effect was immediate. Rose froze, gaping up at her. Juleka quickly reached forward, removing the bottle of lemonade from Rose’s grasp before her cup could overflow. Then the squealing started.

“No way,” Rose gasped, her hands pressed to her cheeks (after Juleka had also rescued the cup). “Prince Ali is going to be _here_?”

“He’s coming for an official diplomatic visit, but he’s also going to be doing some charity stuff,” Juleka said, smiling as she watched emotions race across Rose’s face. Excitement, fear, hope, sadness, happiness, happiness, happiness. She settled on dreamy as she looked back at Juleka.

“He’s so nice,” Rose said sighing. Juleka nodded. She’d heard the run down on Prince Ali before. “And he’s pretty. And he’s kind. And he’s cute. And he’s generous.”

Juleka watched Rose continue to freak out over the rim of her drink. It was always so cute, the way she babbled on about him. She supposed that it should hurt watching her eyes go dreamy, but all that she seemed to be able to muster was affection. Rose’s hands flew through the air like she was conducting an orchestra. Her sweet, high voice rose like it was a symphony. Juleka just listened. It was enough.

“I think you said kind twice,” Juleka said as Rose’s list of adjectives wound down to a close. Rose skimmed past the comment, continuing to bubble over.

“I can’t believe-”

Rose’s beliefs were cut short by a long black arrow smacking into the center of her chest and dissolving into black smoke on impact.

“Rose!” Juleka cried, reaching for her arm, terror squeezing her chest tight. Rose’s head snapped up as Juleka’s hand touched her. She watched as black spread across Rose’s lips, so fascinated by the change that she missed the expression contorting the rest of her face.

When Rose slapped Juleka’s hand away, she might as well have slapped her across the face.

“I wish I’d never met you,” Rose said quietly. Juleka recoiled, staring at her, taking in the drawn brows, the twisted lips. It was an expression that Juleka had never seen on Rose’s face before.

“Little dark weed with no one to love you.”

The edge to her voice, the look on her face…It was disgust. Rose was disgusted…with _her_.

“You’re not cute, you’re not pretty, you’re nothing. You’re invisible. No one will ever see you.”

Juleka’s brain was screaming at her to respond, to say something, say anything, stop the words that Rose continued to pelt her with, stop them, stop them.

“I wish I never had.

Juleka couldn’t move, only stare into dull eyes that had shone moments before.

“I hate you, Juleka.”

Rose’s voice was no more than a whisper, but it filled Juleka’s skull, crowding out every other thought.

“I hate you,” Rose said, a tear rolling down her cheek.

Then she was running.

Then she was gone.

Juleka was alone on a bench in a park with a half empty picnic basket and the pieces of her heart.

Rose had always been a fact of Juleka’s existence, ever seen they became friends. She would always be there, always be kind, always be her friend. Maybe not what she wanted, but always, always what she needed.

 _I hate you_. Rose had been the sun, warming Juleka’s life.

 _Hate you_. How would Juleka survive now?

 _Hate_. Rose had been the only one that would never…

 _Little dark weed_. That would never…

 _Invisible_. Never…

Rose would never.

Rose would _never_.

Rose wouldn’t say those things.

Juleka’s mind replayed Rose’s face, disgust twisting her delicate features.

 _That is Rose_ , it whispered. _That is what Rose said._

Rose looking at her with disgust in her face, eyes dull where before they’d been shining…before…

 _Before being hit_.

Juleka’s head snapped up to see a figure floating above, annoyed at herself for ignoring the part that _mattered_. An akuma. He was hovering in the air above the park, his angular black wings beating as he looked around, hand clenching a bow at his side. Juleka saw him notice something, saw him raise his bow and fire an arrow.

Rose would _never_ say those things. Unless, of course, she were under the influence of evil magic.

Everything in her sighed with relief. Rose didn’t hate her. Rose didn’t wish they’d never met. Rose didn’t think…

Juleka firmly turned her mind away from those words, focusing instead on the person running through the park gate. Marinette. Juleka nodded to herself. Marinette would deal with the akuma and things would go back to the way they were. Rose would come back.

Juleka continued to watch Marinette as she ducked behind a park bench. Juleka only had a moment to wonder what she was doing before Marinette transformed into Ladybug, right in the middle of a public park.

 _Really?_ Juleka thought, exasperated. _You thought a_ park bench _was a suitable place to transform? You are still in complete view of **everything**_. Juleka watched Marinette- now Ladybug- run off to take care of the akuma. This was the _second time_ Juleka’d accidentally witnessed her transform and the girl still didn’t have the slightest clue she’d been seen.

Juleka looked after Ladybug for a moment. Then her gaze was drawn back to the bench, taking in the half-eaten sandwiches, the cups of lemonade. One had tipped over when...

Juleka packed up the picnic basket quickly and left the park. She didn’t really want to sit there and stare at the remains of what had been a fun afternoon.

_You’re invisible._

Juleka shook her head. The motion was effective against the fly that was buzzing near her ear, but the thoughts buzzing in her head were still there. Rose wouldn't say those things, she  _wouldn't_ , but...but...

Juleka was trying not to think. Trying so hard. 

_Invisible._

She was failing.

Juleka hadn’t been heading towards La Tortue de Guérison, but she wasn’t surprised when she found herself standing in front of it, blinking at the faded sign. She went around to the side, the picnic basket still bouncing against her legs, and pushed open the garden gate, letting the squeak of the hinges begin to settle her mind. She saw that Master Fu was with a client and sighed, settling herself down at the iron table to wait.

_Invisible._

Juleka took her sketchbook out of her bag. She needed to do something, anything. She needed her brain to at least pretend to focus on something else.

She wondered where Rose was as she searched for a pencil.

She wondered if Rose was okay as she searched for something to draw.

She wanted to text her and ask, but knew that wasn’t smart.

_Wish I’d never met you._

Juleka settled on the cherry blossom tree. There wouldn’t be any blossoms for another month at least. However, it was still beautiful this way, still… regal. Juleka eyed it, studying the way it leaned and twisted, reaching for the sun.

_Little dark weed._

Juleka put her pencil to paper and began to draw.

_Weed._

Line by line an image formed.

_Still invisible._

Pencil scratching. Leaves rustling in the breeze as it brushed against her face. The tide of sound washed nothing away.

_Invisible._

Scratch, rustle, brush. Lines and more lines, shading. The feel of fingertips pressed against paper.

_Still invisible._

Scratch, rustle, brush.

_I hate you._

Scratch, rustle, brush.

 _Hate you_.

Scratch, rustle, brush.

_Hate-_

“I didn’t realize my tree looked so scary to you,” Master Fu said, jerking Juleka out of her thoughts. She glanced up at the old man, who stood next to her with a sparkle in his eyes and a tea tray. She glanced back down at her sketch pad and took in the image she’d been creating. It was recognizable as the tree that stood before them, but only just. It had the same base structure, but the sun dappled cherry blossom tree full of promise and regal beauty was not to be found in this sketch. The tree in Juleka’s drawing was dark and shadowy, the leaves dense and oppressive.

“It doesn’t, Master Fu,” Juleka said, flipping the sketchbook closed. Master Fu set down the tray and lowered himself into the chair next to her. He poured the tea, light amber liquid flowing into pale porcelain. He passed one to Juleka. She sipped automatically. Oolong.

“One of these days, you’ll show up at my doorstep _happy_ ,” Master Fu said, a smile marking his words as a joke.

“I’m sorry,” Juleka said, looking down at her tea.

“Nothing to apologize for,” Master Fu said lightly. “Though I’m sure the tree could use some reassurance that it is not frightening anyone.” Juleka looked back up at Master Fu. His face was very serious, but his eyes were dancing. She gave him a small smile.

“Ah, there it is,” Master Fu said, grinning at her. “I thought your smile had been stolen.” Juleka raised an eyebrow at him, but her smile remained in place. She turned very deliberately towards the cherry blossom tree.

“Don’t worry, tree. You are very beautiful and not scary at all,” Juleka said solemnly. Master Fu let out a full bellied laugh. Juleka smiled back at him.

“Even the most beautiful of things need reassurance now and then,” Master Fu said, holding Juleka’s gaze. Juleka let her smile fall as she regarded him. Her thoughts buzzed so loudly in her mind.

“Rose was attacked by an akuma,” Juleka said quietly. Master Fu didn’t respond, just continued watching her. Juleka looked down at her teacup. She wondered how many times she had sat here contemplating the bottom of this cup. She wondered if he gave her the same one every time or if there was an entire set of cups that had heard her troubles.

“It took her over, made her say things,” Juleka said. She memorized the bottom of that cup one more time. “Awful things.”

_Nothing._

“She didn’t mean them,” Master Fu said when Juleka didn’t continue. Juleka nodded slowly.

“I know that,” she said.

“But they still hurt,” Master Fu said. Juleka nodded again.

“I can’t get them out of my head.”

_Invisible._

“What did she say to you?” Master Fu asked quietly. Juleka stayed silent for a while. She didn’t want to say them again. She didn’t want to make them real again. When she spoke, she whispered the words as if saying them softly would make them hurt less. They sounded different outside her head than inside. They didn’t seem like something her friend had said. Whispering them one by one in Master Fu’s garden, they seemed...small. When the words finished flowing, Juleka waited for them to return to echoing in her skull, but there was only the gentle breeze ruffling the leaves of the tree.

“Rose must love you a lot,” Master Fu said. Juleka’s gaze flew up. Master Fu’s eyes were gentle as they looked at her.

“What makes you say that?” Juleka asked.

“From what I’ve heard, this akuma has been turning love into hatred,” Master Fu said, a smile beginning to leak onto his face. “If she said such hateful things under its influence, then she must have had a lot of love to turn.” Juleka stared at him for a moment. Then, to her own surprise, she smiled a real smile.

“I guess that’s one way to look at it,” Juleka said. Master Fu chuckled.

“That is the _right_ way to look at it,” he said. Juleka’s smile widened. “Now are you studying your tea or drinking it? Cold tea is sad tea.” Master Fu dramatically raised his cup to his lips in example. Juleka chuckled, then took a sip of her tea.

“Do you see that, tree? I even got her to chuckle,” Master Fu told the cherry blossom tree excitedly. Juleka laughed out loud. Master Fu turned dancing eyes back to her face. “Will wonders never cease?” Juleka’s laughter faded and the pair lapsed into comfortable silence. Juleka listened to the rustling of the leaves again and this time, it was beautiful. Somewhere in the distance, a dog was barking.

“Does it really bother you so much?” Master Fu asked, breaking the silence. Juleka looked over at him. “Being invisible?” Juleka turned her gaze back to the tree, thinking about his question. She could feel his eyes on her, watching her think.

“Most of the time, it doesn’t,” Juleka said, turning her feelings over in her mind, examining them. “I don’t like it when a lot of people are looking at me, so being invisible works pretty well.”

“But?” Master Fu asked when Juleka fell silent. She looked at him again. He wasn’t smiling, but his eyes were gentle. His eyes could say so many things. No matter what Juleka said to him, they always showed understanding. She felt the pull of her teacup again, inviting her to withdraw from his gaze, to hide behind bangs, to put these emotions in a corner and forget about them.

“Have I ever told you that I’m jinxed?” Juleka asked, meeting Master Fu’s eyes as his eyebrows rose and a smile tugged at his lips.

“Oh?” he asked, amusement hanging from that one word. Juleka nodded.

“I can’t take pictures,” she explained, hands tightening around her cup even as she resisted the urge to look into it. “Something always happens and my face doesn’t end up in the photo. One time, a pigeon flew into the shot right when Rose took the picture.” Master Fu’s eyebrows rose even higher. Juleka flashed him a little smile.

“Most of the time, being invisible is just a part of my life,” Juleka said. She finally gave up and allowed her gaze to drop. “But sometimes it feels like the universe is conspiring to erase me.” Juleka searched for a pattern in the particles gathered at the bottom of her teacup.

“Sometimes I wish that people could see me. That I wasn’t alone anymore,” Juleka said quietly. She knew that she wasn’t really alone. Rose was an amazing friend. She also had Nathanaël and Master Fu. She could call most of the people in her class her friends. But it still felt like they didn’t really see her. Such feelings didn’t arise often. They ventured out late at night as Juleka laid in an empty apartment, staring up at the ceiling. They tapped her on the shoulder on days like today, when Juleka couldn’t help but be a little sad. They didn’t last long, especially around Rose and her smile. But they always came back.

Always.

“I’ve always viewed invisibility as a sort of asset,” Master Fu said. Juleka looked away from her thoughts and over at the man next to her. He was gazing at the tree, thoughtfulness painting his features.

“You? Invisible?” Juleka asked in surprise. Master Fu had always stood out to her, even before he’d become her friend. Master Fu looked at her with a chuckle.

“Oh, yes. You’d be surprised at how often I’m lingering in the background without being seen,” Master Fu said, his laughter echoing in his dancing eyes. It faded as his face turned serious and thoughtful again. “I’ve always found that when you’re invisible, the people who see you are the ones who are worthy.” He regarded Juleka for a moment. She looked back at him, considering his words.

_The ones who are worthy…_

Juleka jumped when she heard her phone go off. Her chest constricted when she looked at the screen, reading Rose’s caller ID. She quickly answered the call. It was only when the phone bumped against her ear that she realized she was shaking.

“ _Juleka?_ ” Rose asked as soon she picked up. Juleka immediately let out the breath she’d been holding. This was Rose, _her_ Rose, not the one who’d spoken to her in the park earlier.

“Hey, Rose,” Juleka said, making eye contact with Master Fu. He was grinning at her. “Are you okay?”

“ _I’m fine. Are_ you _okay?_ ” Rose asked in a rush. “ _I just woke up back in my room and Maman told me that I stormed in and said something about_ hating _you and that there was an akuma but I don’t know what happened the last thing I remember is being in the park with you and then I was here and I didn’t say anything to hurt you did I please tell me you’re okay_ -”

“Rose, stop. Breathe,” Juleka said, a smile spreading across her face. “I’m okay. You got hit by the akuma and ran off. I’m glad you’re okay. Your family okay?” Juleka heard Rose take a breath. She could practically feel her calming down.

“ _Yeah, Maman is here and Papa and Lucas went to the store_ ,” Rose said. A giggle came across the line and her voice dropped to a whisper. “Papa _forgot that it was Valentine’s Day. They’re getting roses and chocolates for Maman._ ” Juleka smiled. Just like that, something clicked back into place. Rose was back.

“Sounds like your father,” Juleka said, the smile still stuck on her lips. She could feel Master Fu still watching her.

“ _Maman and Papa are going out tonight so Lucas and I are going to get take out and watch rom-coms. Do you want to come?_ ” Rose asked. Juleka’s smile grew. Rose was back.

“Sure,” she said. The breeze had picked up and the leaves of the cherry blossom tree rustled even louder, almost drowning out a sigh of relief from Rose.

“ _You could come over now. I- if you wanted to_ ,” Rose said hesitantly. “ _I mean you don’t have to come if you don’t want to, I’d underst_ -”

“I’ll be there soon,” Juleka promised, her cheeks starting to ache from the unusual strain of her smile.

“ _Okay! See you soon_ ,” Rose said, excitement bubbling through the phone. Juleka hung up, looking at her phone for a moment.

“Those who are worthy,” Master Fu said. Juleka looked up at him to see the knowing smile on his face. Juleka returned it, feeling her cheeks warm.

“I have to go,” Juleka said, standing and letting her bangs cover the blush coming to life on her face. She snagged her sketchbook, slipping it into her backpack. “I’ll see you later, Master Fu.” Master Fu lifted his hand in a wave, still smiling at her.

“I will see you later, Juleka,” Master Fu said. He winked at her. “Maybe next time you will not be so sad.” Juleka smiled shyly before turning and walking towards the gate.

“Oh, and Juleka?” Master Fu said behind her. Juleka turned to look at him. His face was still kind, but it was completely serious now. “Remember that being invisible can be an asset.” Juleka felt something well up inside of her. She didn’t know what it was or what it meant, but she felt that it was…important. She nodded at Master Fu, holding his gaze for a moment longer before turning and leaving his garden behind.

 

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Juleka dodged Rose’s hand for the third time since Rose had begun her rant.

“But they help each other overcome their anxieties and find true love!” Rose exclaimed, her eyes almost completely glazed over. Juleka couldn’t suppress her smile.

She was so cute, it wasn’t fair.

“How can you get better than that? Love, true love, that improves both lives!” Rose continued, finally standing up from the couch. Juleka was both sad and glad that the girl moved. Sad, because cold air rushed into her side. Glad, because she was out of her line of fire.

“Rose, she attends a Romantics Anonymous meeting,” Juleka said, pressing her lips together to keep herself from laughing at Rose’s pout.

“Because she has too much love,” Rose sighed dreamily. A chuckle leaked past Juleka’s lips.

“What did you think, Lucas?” Juleka asked, turning her gaze to the boy sitting on the other end of the couch. Little Lucas looked exactly as she imagined Rose would if she were five years old and a boy. Short blond hair, giant blue eyes, adorableness leaking from every pore, especially in his hooded Chat Noir pajamas complete with tail and little ears. Lucas tilted his head, considering the question seriously. Then he wrinkled his nose.

“Just too icky,” Lucas pronounced. Rose let out a noise of dismay.

“Well said, Lucas,” Juleka said. She held out her fist and received a bump from the boy.

“How terrible,” Rose said, sighing dramatically. “You cannot appreciate the beauty of true love.” She collapsed back on the couch with her arm thrown over her eyes.

 _Wanna bet?_ Juleka thought, watching Rose as she turned to her with bright eyes that betrayed her pout.

“I’m going to the bathroom,” Rose announced, slipping off of the couch once more. “You pessimists behave while I’m gone.”

“I prefer the term realist,” Juleka called after her, not bothering to suppress the small smile that leaked onto her face as she watched Rose disappear around the corner.

“Hey, Juleka?” Lucas asked. Juleka looked down at the boy sitting at the other end of the couch. He looked up with big, earnest eyes that he had definitely stolen from Rose.

“Yeah?” Juleka asked. Lucas tilted his head as if trying to solve a difficult puzzle. Between his innate cuteness and the cat ears that flopped on his hood, it was much too adorable.

“Are you and Rose going to get married?” Lucas asked. Juleka froze, unable to do much more than blink at him. He continued to look up at her with that earnest expression, waiting patiently for his answer.

“Where did you get _that_ from?” Juleka asked when her mouth decided to work again.

“All of the people in the movie get married at the end,” Lucas said, shrugging. “And you guys look at each other like the people in the movies do.”

“Like what?” Juleka asked.

“All gooey and dreamy and too long,” Lucas said, his nose wrinkling again. Juleka had no doubt that _she_ did that sometimes, but…

“Rose doesn’t look at me like that,” Juleka said.

“No, she does,” Lucas insisted, shaking his head quickly so that the hood slipped backwards a little. “When you’re not looking she looks at you all gooey. Just like the movie people do.”

“Well, the movie people are in love,” Juleka said slowly, shifting in her spot.

“Does that mean you and Rose are in love?” Lucas asked. Juleka considered him for a moment.

“Why do you want to know?” Juleka asked quietly.

“I dunno,” Lucas said, shrugging again. A grin slid across his face suddenly. “I just think you’d make a great sister.” Juleka smiled back.

“Okay!” Rose cried as she bounded back into the room. “Next movie!” Juleka watched Rose flop back down on the couch. Her voice had a strange nervous edge to it. And her cheeks…were they turning red?

“I wanna pick the next movie,” Lucas said. Rose let out a grunt that somehow still managed to be cute as Lucas threw himself across her. “Can I? Please?”

“I think you’re going to have to get off of Rose if you want an answer,” Juleka said, watching Rose try to draw breath with eighty pounds of boy laying across her chest. Lucas glanced back at his sister, then quickly scrambled across her, settling himself between Rose and Juleka. Rose sat up, catching her breath.

Rose sat up, catching her breath. “You can pick the next movie,” she said once she could breathe again. Lucas’s face lit up. “If…” Lucas watched her with baited breath. Rose’s face suddenly split into a grin. “You can catch me!” Rose bolted off of the couch, running for the kitchen. Lucas stayed on the couch for a moment, stunned, before shooting off after her.

“No fair!” Lucas yelled. Rose slid to a stop on the other side of the kitchen island, rapidly changing direction as Lucas reached for her. Juleka watched them, a grin spreading across her own face. She outright laughed when Rose’s skirt slipped through Lucas’s fingers. Next thing she knew, she had slipped off of the couch and was chasing both of them. Lucas squealed as she came after him, her arms raised threateningly.

“Ah ha!” Rose cried, turning and joining the chase for Lucas. “My ally has come to my aid. You’re done for!” One wouldn’t think that Rose could do a good evil laugh, but she cackled quite well as she and Juleka chased Lucas around the couch. Juleka lunged, wrapping her arms around Lucas’s stomach as she turned, her back hitting the ground. Lucas wriggled in her grasp as Rose stood over them. He turned suddenly, his laugh echoing in her ears as he wrapped his arms around her in return.

“Oh no!” Juleka cried, flinging her arms out. She shot to her feet, reaching out and pulling Lucas up behind her. “I have been turned by Lucas’s insidious hug.” Juleka turned to Rose in time to see her eyes widen. She raised her arms in her best zombie imitation. “Must. Get. Rose.” Rose shot off like a rocket, Juleka and Lucas in close pursuit.

They never got around to picking another movie.

Juleka couldn’t find it in herself to care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next on Powers of Invisibility: Make way for Prince Ali.


	9. Smells Like Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juleka watches Rose's TV debut.

It was almost time. Juleka was more or less prepared. At this point, how could she not be? Rose had been counting down all day. Heck, she’d been counting down for three weeks. Now it was only a matter of time before Prince Ali officially arrived in Paris and Rose was pretty much guaranteed to be a certifiable mess.

“Juleka!” Rose called, narrowly avoiding Ivan as she rushed up to their table in chemistry. “He’s here! Prince Ali is supposed to arrive at Le Grand Paris in _ten minutes_.”

“Are you excited?” Juleka asked, amused. It was a rhetorical question. Rose had been bouncing everywhere she went for the last five hours. She would probably continue to bounce until Prince Ali left Paris.

“I’m so excited I can hardly stand it,” Rose said, the sarcasm flying right past her. She hummed as she took out her tablet. The humming was the other side effect of Prince Ali’s arrival. “He’s going to be doing so much while he’s here, Juleka.” Rose finally sat down. She didn’t bounce in her seat as Juleka expected, but her feet were definitely swinging under the table.

“Yes, I believe you’ve mentioned that once or twice,” Juleka said. Rose had told her at least twelve times since his itinerary was released.

“And the very first thing he’s doing is a fundraiser,” Rose continued. Juleka smiled, settling in to listen to it once more. “Who could be so kind? He comes to Paris and the first thing he does is visit sick children.”

“Are you going to watch the news report on his arrival?” Juleka asked. Rose’s face immediately morphed into the picture of dismay.

“Oh, I didn’t even think about that,” Rose said, tragedy coloring her voice. “How am I supposed to watch it in class?” Juleka only smiled. She reached into her bag and pulled out a wireless ear piece.

“You watch on your phone and listen with this,” Juleka said, handing it to Rose. She gasped, clutching the headset to her chest and gazing at Juleka with shining eyes.

“Thank you, Juleka!” Rose cried, throwing her arms around Juleka’s neck. Juleka merely smiled back, also pulling out her box of tissues.

“Alright, settle down class,” Ms. Mendeleiev said as she entered the classroom. The quiet chatter in the room abruptly cut off, leaving only the sounds of stools scraping against the floor as students took their places. Rose settled onto her stool, slipping the ear piece into her ear and discreetly pulling out her phone. Juleka looked over Rose’s shoulder as she pulled up the live news broadcast. She couldn’t hear what the reporter was saying, but it showed Ladybug and Chat Noir.

“Adrien and Marinette, late _again_ ,” Ms. Mendeleiev huffed as she surveyed the classroom, glaring at the two empty spots near the front.

 _I wonder why_ , Juleka thought, smiling to herself.

“I hope you all reviewed the notes on chemical reactions,” Ms. Mendeleiev continued. “Today, we’re talking about combustion. Combustion is a high-temperature redox chemical reaction…” Juleka almost immediately tuned out Ms. Mendeleiev’s harsh voice. She instead turned her attention to Rose’s face. Her eyes were glued to her cell phone; her cheeks were flushed; her bottom lip was caught in her teeth in an attempt to contain her excitement; she glowed with anticipation. A wave of affection bubbled up in Juleka, warmth spreading through her chest.

Rose was so cute when she was obsessed.

Rose squeaked and Juleka knew that the broadcast of Prince Ali had begun. Juleka leaned over to watch. The screen changed to the view of a white limo. A door was opened and a young man stepped out. He was dark skinned with green eyes and black hair. Juleka could admit that he was attractive, but she wasn’t going to tear up at the sight of him.

“He’s just so gorgeous,” Rose whispered, tearing up as Prince Ali’s smile filled the screen. Juleka handed a tissue over to her. “And with a heart of gold.” She blew her nose in the tissue. Juleka rested her head on her hand as she dutifully supplied another one. Rose gasped, abruptly turning to Juleka.

“You know what?” Rose asked, leaning forwards. “I’m gonna write him a letter professing my complete admiration and utmost respect.” True to her word, Rose whipped out a piece of paper and a pen. Juleka just watched her with amusement.

“Whaaaagh,” a familiar voice cried, pulling Juleka’s focus away from Rose’s letter. She wasn’t particularly surprised to see Marinette sprawled out on the floor in front of Ms. Mendeleiev’s desk.

“Ah, Marinette,” Ms. Mendeleiev said, glaring down at the girl over the desk. “What excuse do you have for us this time? Accidentally locked yourself in the bathroom again?” Juleka turned her attention back to Rose, listening with one ear as Marinette tried, and failed, to come up with a good excuse.

Rose had somehow come up with more supplies in the few moments that Marinette had distracted Juleka and was now tucking her letter into a pink envelope. She sealed it with a heart shaped sticker and lifted her perfume to give it a spritz. Juleka was used to the routine. Rose loved to write letters and always insisted on using pretty stationery and a bit of perfume to make it as lovely as possible.

What Juleka was _not_ used to was Rose getting called out for it.

“Thank you, Rose,” Ms. Mendeleiev said. Both Juleka and Rose looked up in surprise. Ms. Mendeleiev rounded her desk, approaching their table. “But I don’t think our classroom needs extra refreshing.”

“I thought someone packed a tuna fish sandwich, but it turns out it was Rose’s perfume,” Chloe sneered, her voice floating back to burrow under Juleka’s skin. Juleka glared at Chloe as she laughed at her own words. Her gaze transferred back to Ms. Mendeleiev as she stopped in front of their table, holding out her hand. Rose wilted as she placed her perfume (her really nice perfume that her mother had gotten for her for Christmas) in Ms. Mendeleiev’s waiting palm.

“Furthermore, using your smartphone during school hours is strictly forbidden,” Ms. Mendeleiev said, holding out her other hand. Rose sagged even more, taking out the ear piece and surrendering it along with her phone. Juleka sighed. Her favorite perfume and her phone? Rose wouldn’t be able to track Prince Ali’s visit anymore. How could her day get worse?

“Take the rest of your things and go the principal’s office,” Ms. Mendeleiev said. Rose recoiled a little before bending down to get her bag, whimpering a little as she packed up her things. Juleka reached out to place a hand on her arm, but Rose moved out of her reach before she could, trudging towards the door with her head bowed.

“Watch what happens when you play about with flammable substances in a chemistry lab,” Ms. Mendeleiev said as she resumed her position behind the desk. Juleka kept her eyes on Rose up until the moment she shut the door behind her. She shifted her gaze to Ms. Mendeleiev, glaring as the woman sprayed Rose’s perfume into a glass cylinder. Pink mist coalesced in the open-ended container. Ms. Mendeleiev placed the container upright over a black device, then hit a button. The whole class gasped when the perfume combusted within the glass cylinder. Juleka had to admit that it was cool and that Ms. Mendeleiev had a point about perfume in a lab, but she continued to glare at her. “Just to make sure you all remember that, I’ll be quizzing you tomorrow on lab safety. Again.”

Juleka deliberately tuned the science teacher out as the lecture started again. Her thoughts turned to Rose, dragging her feet and hanging her head as she made the journey to the principal’s office. She’d looked heartbroken as she left the room. However, knowing Rose, she’d be back to being misty eyed as soon as school was out. The school only held phones until the end of the day anyways and there wasn’t all that much time left on the clock. She’d be happy and dreaming about her prince soon enough…

 

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_Where is she?_ Juleka wondered, checking the locker room one last time before admitting that Rose was no longer at the school. She checked her phone. No reply. She checked her phone again. Definitely no reply.

There was no real reason to assume that something was wrong. Rose could have just decided to go on home so that she could watch the news coverage of Prince Ali on TV. It didn’t make sense that she had gone without Juleka, but maybe she had gotten tired of waiting. That didn’t explain why she wasn’t answering her phone, but maybe, for some reason, she hadn’t gotten it back, or she wasn’t paying attention to it, or it had been stolen by some mugger and now Rose was lying in the street in need of medical assistance with no one to help her.

Okay that last one was unlikely.

Because there was nothing to suggest that Rose was not alright…

 

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Fifteen minutes later, Juleka knocked on Rose’s front door. It was a nice door and it belonged to a nice house. Both were unassuming and whitewashed and sturdy. A little small, but warm enough to classify as cozy. Juleka knew this house as well as she knew her own. She knew the flowers on the porch. She knew the lightbulb overhead that had a habit of flickering when the wind blew a little too strong. She knew the squeak of the door hinge as it swung open to reveal a smiling face.

“Juleka!” Mrs. Lavillant cried as she opened the door. The woman was unmistakably Rose’s mother. She had the same blond hair, the same blue eyes, and was just barely taller than Juleka. She also sported a permanent blush and a nearly permanent smile. She held out her arms to Juleka, pulling her into a hug.

“Hello, Mrs. Lavillant,” Juleka said, still enveloped in her tight hug. Juleka knew this hug as well as she knew the warmth that inevitably pooled in her chest. Mrs. Lavillant finally released her a moment later, patting her cheek, and Juleka offered her a small smile.

“Hello, dear. It’s nice to see you,” Mrs. Lavillant said, as if Juleka hadn’t been over two days before. She looked around then, eyebrows quirking in confusion. “But where’s Rose?” Cold, hard dread sank in Juleka’s stomach.

“I thought she’d be here,” Juleka said, watching Mrs. Lavillant’s face settle into a rare frown as she shook her head. The two exchanged a glance and Juleka knew that Mrs. Lavillant felt it too.

“Well, come in,” Mrs. Lavillant said, stepping aside and gesturing for Juleka to step past her. “We’ll figure this out.” Juleka moved past Mrs. Lavillant, heading for the sofa. Lucas looked up from the TV, grinning when he saw her.

“Hey, Juleka,” Lucas said brightly. He turned his attention back to the TV screen as Juleka sat down beside him. “Where’s Rose? She’s missing Prince Ali.” Prince Ali’s face filled the screen as he spoke with Mayor Bourgeois. Juleka checked her phone again.

_Rose is missing Prince Ali…_

The front door opened and Juleka whipped around, hoping against hope that a short blonde girl would be standing there, breathless over the sight of Prince Ali’s face in her living room. There was a short blond standing there, but Mr. Lavillant wasn’t really breathless. It always amazed Juleka just how much Mr. and Mrs. Lavillant looked alike. Similar hair color, eye color, even face shape. The whole family was cut from the same cloth.

“Serge,” Mrs. Lavillant said, walking up and greeting her husband with a kiss on the cheek. “Have you heard from Rose? I’ve tried calling her, but she’s not answering.”

“No, I haven’t,” Mr. Lavillant said, frowning at his wife. “Have you asked- ah, I see Juleka is already here.” Juleka waved at the mention of her name. Mr. Lavillant waved back with a quick smile.

“Hello, Mr. Lavillant,” Juleka said, stomach sinking lower and lower. “I hoped I’d find her here.” Mr. Lavillant’s frown deepened.

“Oh, it’s probably nothing,” Mrs. Lavillant said, her voice forcefully cheery. “She’ll come home soon, I’m sure. _Our_ children don't just disappear.” Juleka looked between the two, both trying to forestall the worry creeping into their home. She wanted to offer something that would iron out the creases in their foreheads. She turned her attention back to the TV. The only thing she had to give was the impression of normalcy. Sitting on the couch, watching TV, waiting for Rose to come home.

Juleka looked to the screen just in time to see Chloe snuggling up to Prince Ali. She shook her head. Leave it to Chloe to find her way into the middle of Prince Ali’s interview. A flash of something green caught Juleka’s attention and she narrowed her eyes at the green puff of smoke floating off of Chloe’s shoulder. It was gone in a flash and Juleka wondered if she could possibly have imagined it. After all, no one on screen seemed to have noticed anything unusual…

“Where is…that- that smell coming from?” Nadia Chamack asked suddenly. It was such an unprofessional question that Juleka was diverted from the green puff. “Like rotten fish.” At once everyone on screen looked at Chloe, hands rising to cover their noses.

“What? That’s not me,” Chloe said, glaring at everyone around her. She raised a hand to her nose and sniffed, her face immediately dissolving into horror. “It is me!” Something perked up in Juleka’s head. Chloe was hit by a puff of green smoke and suddenly smelled so strongly of rotten fish that a professional reporter was thrown off? That didn’t seem like a coincidence. It did seem like karma though, after Chloe had compared Rose’s perfume to tuna fish earlier…

Juleka didn’t have any more time to dissect her thought because that moment, a loud hissing sound escaped from the TV. The camera abruptly swung around, facing the crowd of reporters. A pink fog was billowing around them and all of their faces had gone slack. As one, the crowd turned and sank to their knees.

“At your service, Princess Fragrance,” they sang as they bowed to the figure standing there. A short girl, with pink hair and eyes and green skin. An akuma.

 _No,_ Juleka thought. _It can’t be, it can’t._

But it could. She might not have had the same blonde hair and she might not have had the same big eyes, but that was Rose. It had to be. Chloe suddenly smelling of rotten fish? An akuma wielding perfume after Rose had been severely punished for using perfume? And the disruption of an interview of none other than Prince Ali?

_It can’t be._

“I’m Princess Fragrance and I’ve come here just for you,” the akuma announced, moving forward to stand in front of Prince Ali. Her face filled the screen as she drew closer. Her voice was higher and harsher than normal, but it was hers. It was her. Rose had been akumatized. Rose was raising a perfume gun to point at Prince Ali. Rose was staring at him with those greedy eyes. “In just a spritz you’ll be _mine_ , Prince Ali.”

 _No_ , Juleka thought once more.

Tons of confetti suddenly floated into view, disrupting Rose- Princess Fragrance’s focus. She waved her hands at the strips of paper, disgruntled.

“Oh, no,” Mrs. Lavillant said, standing behind the couch. Juleka couldn’t rip her eyes away from Princess Fragrance’s face even as the camera started to jostle. “What if Rose got caught by that akuma?”

“Rose _is_ the akuma,” Juleka muttered, watching as the camera followed Prince Ali and a few others as they bolted out a side door. It panned back to Princess Fragrance, her face contorted in anger. That wasn’t a face Rose had ever made before.

“What?” Mrs. Lavillant asked, startled. She stared at Princess Fragrance as she aimed her perfume gun at the camera and pink fog enveloped the screen. “No, it- it can’t be. Rose is such a good girl.” The screen went dark before rapidly switching to an anchor.

“We have lost contact with our reporters inside Le Grand Paris. Sources say that an akuma is targeting the visiting Prince Ali and is wielding some sort of smoke device. Citizens are advised to…” the man said. Juleka tuned him out. He didn’t know anything they didn’t. She trained her eyes on the still they had captured of Princess Fragrance. Juleka wondered if it was wrong to still think she was beautiful.

“Oh my god,” Mrs. Lavillant said. Juleka tore her eyes away from the image on the screen, looking up Mrs. Lavillant. She was staring at the TV, clutching her hands against her chest just like Rose did when she was distressed. “Serge! Serge, come here!” Mr. Lavillant wandered out to the living room, his eyes wide.

“What is it?” he asked. Mrs. Lavillant pointed one shaking hand at the TV, where Princess Fragrance’s image was still hovering.

“Rose has been akumatized,” Mrs. Lavillant said, a sob working its way out of her throat. Mr. Lavillant looked back at the TV, his eyes growing even wider.

“Now you don’t know that,” Mr. Lavillant said, though his voice shook a little bit. He came to stand next to his wife, placing a hand on her back. “Sure it looks like her, but it could be anyone.”

“She’s after Prince Ali,” Juleka said quietly. Mr. Lavillant frowned.

“Well, he is popular,” he said, his defensive tone undermined by his uncertainty.

“Look at her perfume gun,” Juleka said. Part of her knew that she should leave this alone. She shouldn’t say anything. She should let them believe that their daughter hadn’t become a monster. But she kept going. “She got sent to the principal’s office for using her perfume in class. She never came back.” Mr. Lavillant paled and Mrs. Lavillant let out another sob, huge tears running down her face.

“That isn’t proof,” Mr. Lavillant said, denial still clutching at him.

“Mr. Lavillant-” Juleka started.

“Enough, Juleka,” Mr. Lavillant snapped, his face red now instead of pale. Juleka looked back at the man, holding his gaze. He wanted so badly to ignore the truth. There was desperation in his eyes. There was fear.

“Come on, dear,” Mrs. Lavillant said, turning so that her hand was placed on his back. “Let’s go get dinner started. Rose will need food when she comes home.” Mr. Lavillant looked away, moving towards the kitchen. Mrs. Lavillant cast an apologetic look at Juleka, then a tearful glance at the TV, then followed her husband to the kitchen.

“Chat Noir has been sighted running towards Le Grand Paris,” the news anchor said. Juleka sighed as she returned her gaze back to the TV screen. Chat Noir was on his way. It would be okay soon. It had to be.

Little fingers wormed their way into Juleka’s hand. Her chest tightened as she looked down into Lucas’s wide eyes. Juleka realized, rather guiltily, that she’d forgotten that he was sitting next to her, listening to every word she said. He reminded her now as fear leaked through his fingers.

“She’ll be okay, won’t she?” Lucas asked quietly. Juleka dredged up a smile.

“She’ll be just fine, Lucas,” she said, just as quietly. She was vaguely aware of Mr. and Mrs. Lavillant whispering in the kitchen. “Just you wait. Ladybug and Chat Noir will take care of everything.”

“They won’t hurt her, will they?” Lucas said, his eyes growing even wider as he looked up at her. There was earnest anxiety written all over his face. Juleka wondered how this family could make their eyes go so impossibly large.

“No, they won’t. They know that it’s not her fault,” Juleka said, tightening her grip on Lucas’s hand. “They’re kind people.”

“How do you know?” Lucas asked, his free hand toying with the hem of his shirt.

“Rose and I have told you the stories about seeing them in action,” Juleka said. She turned so that she faced him, tucking one leg underneath her. She reached for Lucas’s other hand, stilling his nervous twitching.

“Yeah, but in your stories, they’re always fighting the akuma,” Lucas said, looking down at Juleka’s hands. His lower lip was steadily growing towards a pout. His hair was flopping into his eyes, but Juleka knew that there were tears welling up there. He cried easily, just like Rose.

“You know, you seem like a trustworthy person,” Juleka said slowly. Lucas peeked up at her in surprise. Indeed, water was collecting on his lower eyelids, threatening to spill over. Juleka made a show of regarding him carefully. “I think I can let you in on my secret.” Lucas sniffed, but continued looking up at her.

“What secret?” Lucas asked quietly. Juleka looked around, as if to make sure no one was close enough to hear, then she leaned closer. Lucas leaned in too.

“I know Ladybug and Chat Noir,” Juleka whispered. Lucas gasped.

“Like, in real life?” he whispered back. Juleka nodded solemnly.

“I can’t tell you who they are, because that is strictly classified,” Juleka said. Lucas nodded seriously. “But I can tell you about them if you’d like.” Lucas nodded rapidly, his eyes wide now for different reasons.

“Eyewitnesses say that Chat Noir has evacuated Prince Ali, his handler, and Chloe Bourgeois from the hotel with Princess Fragrance in pursuit,” the news anchor said, stealing Juleka’s focus for a moment. Lucas looked up too, his lip threatening a pout again.

“Alright, I’ll tell you, but you have to promise that you won’t tell anyone else, okay?” Juleka said, bringing Lucas’s focus back to her. Some of his excitement returned, but it was dulled by fear now.

“I promise,” Lucas said gravely.

“You promise?” Juleka asked, raising an eyebrow as if she doubted Lucas’s words. Lucas straightened.

“I promise,” he insisted.

“Are you sure?” Juleka asked. Lucas pouted, but the fear seemed to have retreated a little.

“I’m sure,” Lucas said, nodding firmly.

“Okay,” Juleka said, nodding back. Updates continued in the background, but Juleka blocked it out, focusing on Lucas’s excited face, the tight grip he had on her hand. “Who do you want to hear about first?”

“Chat Noir!” Lucas whisper-cheered. Juleka smiled at him, before freeing one hand to touch her chin while she made a show of thinking about what to tell him.

“Chat Noir is a big showboat while he’s in costume, but in real life, he’s modest and nice and very smart,” Juleka said. Lucas looked up at her, his eyes round and enthralled as he listened to her speak. “He works hard and he helps his friends. He’s a little shyer in real life. And he’s very, very kind. I don’t think he’d hurt a fly much less a person.”

“So, he wouldn’t hurt somebody’s sister?” Lucas asked quietly, turning to look at the TV screen. “Even if she was a villain?” Juleka glanced at the TV, where they were showing Princess Fragrance’s face again, twisted in a way that Rose’s never was.

“No, he wouldn’t,” Juleka assured him, squeezing his hand. “He’d try to save her.” Lucas looked back up at Juleka.

“What about Ladybug?” Lucas asked. Juleka smiled again.

“Ladybug actually isn’t all that different in my eyes. She’s friendly and passionate. She’s also a little shy sometimes. And would you believe me if I told you that the girl behind the mask is actually a huge klutz?” Juleka asked. Lucas’s eyes widened and he giggled.

“Really?” he asked. Juleka nodded, chuckling.

“She can find a way to trip on almost anything. But she also has a really big heart and always does the right thing. If someone is crying, she makes sure someone comforts them. If someone needs help, she helps them. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone as quick to stand up for others as her,” Juleka said. Lucas watched her like she was speaking the gospel, his eyes still very wide, but no trace of fear remaining now. “She’ll make sure that Rose is safe. They both will.” Lucas nodded slowly, a little smile creeping onto his face.

“They’ll take care of her,” Lucas said. Juleka nodded. They both turned back to the TV screen with lighter hearts. Ladybug and Chat Noir would save the day as they had countless times before.

They had to.

“Eyewitness reports have located Princess Fragrance and we have a camera on scene,” the news anchor said. “To you, Jean.” Juleka felt Lucas straighten beside her as the view changed to a reporter standing in front of the Seine.

“Jean Dupont reporting live from the Pont des Artes. Princess Fragrance arrived with Chat Noir, Prince Ali, and two other civilians several minutes ago. Not much has happened since. They seem to be waiting for something,” Jean said into his microphone. The camera shifted to zoom in on the Pont des Artes. Princess Fragrance stood in the middle, clutching Prince Ali’s arm and looking up at him. Chat Noir, Chloe, and a tall, suited woman stood in a line off to the side, looking like they were standing at attention. Lucas’s hand tightened around Juleka’s. She understood why. The dreamy expression on Princess Fragrance’s face was one hundred percent Rose.

“Hold on, it looks like someone is approaching the bridge,” Jean said off camera. The camera shifted to focus on someone standing at the end of the bridge. It looked like…

“Is that the mayor?” Jean asked incredulously. Sure enough, when the camera zoomed in on the man, it was Mayor Bourgeois. Juleka remembered Chat Noir, standing at attention next to Chloe, holding what looked like a bright pink box. Princess Fragrance must have gotten to them all. Where was Ladybug?

“Princess Fragrance is now approaching Mayor Bourgeois,” Jean continued, narrating the events even as the camera captured them. Princess Fragrance smiled up at the Mayor as she came to stand beside him. The Mayor bowed deeply before offering her his elbow. She took his arm with her free hand. Her other hand held…a bouquet?

“Princess Fragrance and the Mayor are proceeding back down the bridge towards Prince Ali,” Jean said. He seemed confused too. “It almost looks like… a wedding ceremony?” Juleka’s chest tightened and it was her turn to squeeze Lucas’s hand. Princess Fragrance was going to marry Prince Ali.

Juleka sometimes thought about what would happen when Rose entered a relationship. Somehow, she always imagined that it would happen later, when she’d had more time to deal with this whole being-in-love-with-a-girl-who-can-never-love-you-back-because-she’s-straight thing. But now, Princess Fragrance was getting _married_  right before her eyes.

_Married._

“Ew,” Lucas said beside her. Juleka chuckled, but the noise sounded weird and strained.

“You said it, dude,” Juleka said. Her voice seemed higher than normal. Her chest was so tight. The camera followed Princess Fragrance and the Mayor as he walked her down the bridge. Princess Fragrance threw the bouquet aside when they reached Prince Ali, placing her hands in his. Her face was green and her eyes were pink, but that was still Rose looking at him with that dreamy expression of hers. That was still Rose popping her foot and releasing one hand to gesture wildly. That was Rose, in love.

Juleka was relieved when Princess Fragrance gestured imperiously at Chat Noir because she didn’t look like Rose so much anymore. Rose had never looked haughty a day in her life.

Chat Noir stepped forward and held out the bright pink box in his hand. Juleka tensed, silently apologizing to Lucas for his crushed hand. It must be the ring. They were going to exchange rings. This was happening. And it would be binding even after the akuma was purified because the mayor was presiding. Rose would be married to Prince Ali and she’d have to move to the kingdom of Achu and be a princess and never ever return to France and Juleka would have to sit at the back of the class _alone_ and she wouldn’t get to see the Lavillants ever again and she’d never get to see _Rose_ again. Never again.

Chat Noir knelt, opening the box. A plume of pink fog floated up from it. Princess Fragrance- _Rose_ \- took something out of the box, the fog still emanating from it. Juleka squinted at it. It looked too big to be a ring…

“Princess Fragrance is holding up what appears to be a lock,” Jean said as the camera zoomed in on Princess Fragrance’s hand. Juleka sighed in relief, releasing her death grip on Lucas’s hand. They weren’t actually getting married. Just a lock.

Then it occurred to a sheepish Juleka that the legal age to get married without parental consent was eighteen so it wouldn’t have been binding anyway.

Then a spotted yoyo flew into frame, knocking the lock out of Princess Fragrance’s hand. So really, the bullet was pretty thoroughly dodged.

Juleka would not be separated from Rose. Not yet, at least.

“Ladybug has arrived on the scene,” Jean cried as the camera zoomed out to show the hero hanging from a light pole. Princess Fragrance shot a burst of pink towards Ladybug. Juleka and Lucas gasped in tandem as it hit her square in the face.

“Ladybug, no!” Lucas cried. Both of them watched with baited breath as the fog cleared. Then they gasped again as Ladybug jumped down from the lamp post, seemingly still free of control.

“It seems that Ladybug is not succumbing to Princess Fragrance’s control,” Jean said. Lucas cheered, then fell into another gasp as the four bystanders on the bridge, not including Prince Ali whom Princess Fragrance kept by her side, converged on Ladybug. “But it seems that Ladybug is now taking on four assailants, including her partner Chat Noir.” The camera stayed focused on the fight, but Juleka kept her eyes on Princess Fragrance, who grabbed Prince Ali’s hand and started running.

“Princess Fragrance is fleeing the scene,” Jean cried and the camera briefly followed her ascent as she rocketed into the sky before returning to Ladybug’s fight. The civilians had already been taken out so it was just her and Chat. Juleka and Lucas watched nervously as Ladybug and Chat Noir fought one another. In the past, Ladybug had always beat Chat Noir when he had been possessed. But there was always a chance…

“D- do you see that?” Jean asked suddenly. The camera shifted upwards to capture a dense pink cloud billowing towards them. “A- a large pink cloud is taking over Paris.” Lucas dropped Juleka’s hand, launching himself off of the couch and running to the window.

“I see it!” He cried. “Come look.” Juleka rose and joined him at the window, gazing up at the cloud rapidly spreading across the sky. Within moments, the house was enveloped in its shadow.

“Oh, goodness,” Mrs. Lavillant said, joining them at the window. She wrung her hands as she looked up at their new pink sky.

“It looks like cotton candy,” Lucas said, hands pressed against the window as he peered up.

“I don’t think we want to eat that, son,” Mr. Lavillant said as he too looked up at the cloud.

“It looks like it’s getting bigger,” Mrs. Lavillant said.

“No,” Juleka said. “It’s getting closer.” Three pairs of bright blue eyes snapped to Juleka’s face, then returned to the sky one by one.

“The cloud isn’t growing. It’s descending,” Mr. Lavillant realized. He stepped away from the window, frowning in thought. He and Mrs. Lavillant exchanged a glance. Fear seeped across their faces. Hopelessness followed soon afterwards.

Juleka could read their emotions on their faces as easily as she could read a book. They were scared for their daughter, for their son, for each other, for themselves. There was the all too frightening chance that just this once, Ladybug and Chat Noir would fail and they would spend the rest of their lives under the spell of an evil, obsessed teenager.

“We should get towels and blankets, stuff them in the cracks of the door and the windows,” Mrs. Lavillant said, desperation edging into her voice.

“Houses aren’t airtight. The fog will come in anyways,” Juleka said, shaking her head. Lucas slipped his hand back into hers. When he squeezed it, she squeezed back.

“Well then, what do you suggest-” Mr. Lavillant began angrily.

"Serge, please," Mrs. Lavillant interrupted gently, wrenching a hand away from her chest to clutch his arm.

Mr. Lavillant turned to his wife with a dark frown that reminded Juleka of the early days, back when Rose had first started bringing her home. "Sylvie, she's-"

Juleka never got to learn what she was, because Mr. Lavillant was interrupted by the distant sound of fireworks. They all turned back to the window, searching for the source of the sound. Fireworks were leaping up into the sky, exploding just underneath the giant cloud of pink.

“What-” Mrs. Lavillant started, then dissolved into a gasp along with the rest of them as the cloud abruptly combusted, fire rolling out in a perfect circle until it reached the edges and the cloud was gone. There wasn’t a trace of pink left in the sky. The four stared up at the clear blue sky in silence for a moment. Then they were cheering. Mr. Lavillant lifted Mrs. Lavillant in a hug. Lucas grabbed Juleka’s free hand and started spinning in circles, laughing all the while. Juleka smiled with the rest of them, even though she knew the battle wasn’t over yet.

“We’re not gonna turn into minions!” Lucas cried. Mr. and Mrs. Lavillant burst out laughing and Juleka joined in. They weren’t possessed. The cloud was gone. It was only a matter of time until Ladybug purified the akuma. Like she always did.

“We have regained contact with our reporter inside Le Grand Paris,” the news anchor said from the TV behind them. They all turned to watch the excited anchor. “Eyewitnesses have confirmed a Miraculous explosion and Princess Fragrance’s victims have returned to consciousness. Ladybug has saved the day once again.” The Lavillants dissolved into cheers again and this time, Juleka joined in.

The day was officially saved.

Presumably, Rose was no longer an akuma. She’d be home soon and Juleka found herself impatient to see her face even though she knew she was okay. She still wanted to look her in the eye and verify that she hadn’t carried something more than a crazy story away from the experience. Juleka wanted Rose to be home.

Somewhere in the house, a cellphone rang and Mrs. Lavillant paused her cheering to go find it.

“It’s Rose,” Mrs. Lavillant called. The rest of them immediately quieted down. Juleka moved over to stand next to her as she answered, Mr. Lavillant and Lucas trailing after her.

“Hello, dear,” Mrs. Lavillant said, swatting at her husband as he tried to place his ear next to the phone. She nodded at something Rose said. “Yes, we were watching the news.”

 _She’s okay_ , Mrs. Lavillant mouthed at them. They all let out a sigh of relief. Juleka held out a fist and bumped it against Lucas’s. She still itched to see, or even to hear…

“Oh, really?” Mrs. Lavillant said, her face morphing into an expression of surprise. They all returned to watching her conversation. “Well, let me ask your father.”

“Ask her father what?” Mr. Lavillant said as Mrs. Lavillant lowered the phone to her shoulder.

“Rose wants to know if she can go to Prince Ali’s toy fundraiser. He invited her,” Mrs. Lavillant said with raised eyebrows. Mr. Lavillant’s face mirrored her surprise.

“I’m fine with it,” Mr. Lavillant said after a moment, shrugging his shoulders.

“Rose?” Mrs. Lavillant said, returning the phone to her ear. “You can go.” Mrs. Lavillant held the phone away from her ear and they could all hear Rose’s squeal. When it died down, she tentatively brought it back.

“Ye…yes, dear…Mhm…Yes, be back before ten, okay?” Mrs. Lavillant said, her smile widening across her face. Then her eyes shifted to Juleka. “Yes, she’s here…I’ll tell her. Have fun…Bye.” Mrs. Lavillant lowered her cellphone.

“She seemed excited,” Mr. Lavillant remarked, grinning. Mrs. Lavillant shook her phone at him.

“A girl is allowed to be excited when she gets a date,” Mrs. Lavillant said.

_A date._

“Especially when she’s just kidnapped him while under the influence of a psychopath.”

_Rose is on a date._

“Juleka,” Mrs. Lavillant said, turning and pointing her phone at Juleka. She looked back at the woman, hoping for something that would make this easier. “Rose told me to tell you-"

_-that she'll text me._

_-that she wants me to call her._

_-that she wants me to come along._

_-that she wishes I were there._

_-that she'll be thinking of_ me  _tonight when she's with him._

_-that she loves me._

"-that she’ll see you tomorrow.”

Juleka wondered if she should go see a doctor about the deflating feeling in her chest.

Juleka didn’t know why she’d always assumed that she had more time. Somehow, she’d never been able to imagine that the way things stood wouldn’t last forever. Rose always right in front of her, just a step beyond her fingertips, hovering just close enough to warm her, but still too far to touch. But Rose was miles away now.

“I guess I’ll go,” Juleka said. Mrs. Lavillant looked surprised for a moment. She opened her mouth to say something, but hesitated. “I’ll see you later, Mrs. Lavillant, Mr. Lavillant.” Mrs. Lavillant closed her mouth, smiling at Juleka a little sadly as she waved. Mr. Lavillant mimicked her action and for a moment, the husband and wife could have been two sides of a mirror. Then arms wrapped around Juleka’s middle and she looked down to see Lucas pouting up at her.

“You’re not going _already?_ ” Lucas asked with wide eyes.

“I’ll see you later, Lucas,” Juleka said, hugging him back as he squeezed her tight.

“Later, Juleka,” Lucas muttered into her stomach. Then he stepped back and gave her a bright smile and a little wave. His head tilted and his eyes squeezed shut. Mother and father and daughter and son, all exactly the same.

Juleka was not small or blonde or cute.

She let herself out of the house, closing the door with a soft click behind her.

 

Juleka wondered on her walk home whether she liked being in pain.

Why else would she keep imagining Rose and Prince Ali at the hospital? Rose smiling at him with that dreamy expression. Rose clutching his arm as they accepted toys for the sick kids. Rose giggling as Prince Ali whispered something in her ear. Rose, Rose, Rose. Somewhere else. With someone else.

Why else would Juleka keep imagining what that evening would have been like if Rose hadn’t been akumatized? Rose smiling at _her_ as she impatiently waited for the next press conference to start. Rose clutching her arm when the broadcast started. Rose giggling as she whispered something to Juleka so that her parents didn’t hear. Rose, Rose, Rose. At home. With _her_.

If Juleka didn’t like how her chest squeezed tighter and tighter until it felt like her heart would pop, then why did she keep thinking about it, probing that open wound?

Why else would Juleka continue loving someone she could never hope would love her back?

Rose had almost taken over a city for Prince Ali.

Juleka would wait to see her at school.

She went to bed that night wondering just how long she’d wait for tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next on Powers of Invisibility: Juleka's feeling a little... invisible.


	10. Invisible

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Most people's reactions to picture day are a little less extreme, but Juleka likes to go big or go home...  
> And turning evil is pretty big.

Juleka was tired. You could ask her what she was tired of, but there was a very long list. Juleka was tired of sitting in this classroom morning after morning, waiting for class to start. She was tired of listening to Chloe whine. She was tired of the way the air conditioner droned at just the right pitch to set her on edge whenever she noticed it. This particular morning, Juleka was even tired of watching two superheroes sit within two feet of one another and yet remain completely oblivious, though it normally would have provided her with entertainment for the next hour _at least_. But mostly, Juleka was tired of being…

_Invisible._

Collége Françoise Dupont was alive with the chatter of excited students this morning. Kids flowed into their classrooms talking and laughing and awake. Most students loved picture day. A lot of teachers didn’t bother trying to teach due to the frequent interruptions, so it was basically an unofficial holiday. Everyone looked their best.

Juleka hated picture day. Picture day consisted of Juleka waiting to see just how her jinx would manifest itself, how she’d be evicted from this year’s memory. She had her money on another pigeon. This seemed like a year for pigeon incidents.

“Juleka!” a sweet voice said. Juleka turned to see Rose walking up the stairs towards their table. Juleka couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her. Juleka could be tired of every person on Earth and she still wouldn’t be tired of Rose.

“Hey, Rose,” Juleka said. Melancholy sank back into her chest as Rose sat beside her.

“Oh, Juleka,” Rose sighed. She didn’t need to ask what Juleka was upset about. She placed her hand on her shoulder. “You’re not jinxed. This time it’ll work out. You’ll see.”

“The same way it’s worked out every year since preschool?” Juleka asked, giving Rose a skeptical look. Rose’s face fell a little and Juleka mentally kicked herself, shooing her sarcasm back into its corner. However, Rose’s face almost immediately brightened again.

“I got you something,” Rose said cheerfully, turning away from Juleka and rummaging through her bag.

“What?” Juleka asked. “Rose, you did not get me something because of stupid picture day.”

“It’s a good luck charm,” Rose said, turning back around with a small black box with a purple bow on top.

“Rose, I-” Juleka started, holding up her hands and leaning away.

“Am so happy that my beautiful and wonderful best friend thought of me and wanted to give me something?” Rose asked, beaming at Juleka. Now that just wasn’t fair. Juleka’s protestations melted away. She found her hands reaching forward to take the box from Rose. Juleka simply looked down at it for a moment. She wondered if Rose had made the bow or if she’d simply looked until she found Juleka’s favorite colors.

Juleka removed the lid from the box and lifted the paper inside. Nestled in dark swathes of tissue paper sat a beautiful little trinket, teal blue with gold inlays and a gorgeous blue stone in the center. Black cords trailed from it as Juleka carefully lifted it out of the box. The metal was cool against her fingers. She could feel her mouth gaping, but she couldn’t find the switch that closed it.

“Rose,” Juleka whispered, tearing her eyes away from the gift to the girl watching her with a huge smile on her face. She blushed when she met Juleka’s eyes.

“I saw it and I just thought of you,” Rose said, glancing down at her lap. “Don’t worry. It wasn’t that expensive.” Rose carefully took the trinket from Juleka’s fingers and held her hand out for Juleka’s. Juleka placed her right hand in Rose’s and watched as she fastened it on over her glove, settling it onto the back of her hand like a bracelet. Rose’s fingers retained their grip on her hand for a moment longer once it was in place and she flipped up the raised portion to reveal a small round mirror. Juleka stared down at her own face, her eyes wide, her mouth still hanging slightly open.

“Do you like it?” Rose asked quietly. Juleka’s eyes snapped up from the bracelet. Rose was watching her, her cheeks deeply pink now. Her fingers finally slipped away from Juleka’s hand.

“I love it, Rose,” Juleka said, a wide smile stretching across her face. “Thank you.” Rose grinned back. Juleka looked back down at her new bracelet, marveling at the gift her friend had given her.

“It’ll work out this time, Juleka,” Rose said, her bright voice bubbling over with optimism. “I just know it.”

Ms. Bustier started class then and the routine of picture day began to set in, but Juleka couldn’t focus on anything other than her bracelet and the warm feeling blossoming in her stomach for the next solid hour.

In spite of the dread chipping away at her, she began to think that maybe, just maybe, today would be different.

 

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Of course, by the time the photo actually rolled around, not even a wonderful gift from her favorite person could save her and Juleka was back to her old, pessimistic self. She stood with the others, watching another class get positioned for their photo. The longer she watched, the lower her spirits sank. She couldn’t help but remember all of the years previous, standing for photo after photo, every time thinking _maybe this time, maybe this time_. Year after year of being erased and forgotten, left unseen. Accidents, spills, mis-framings, misplacings, mistakes, all adding up to a missing face. After all of that, after all of those years, after all of those heartbreaks, Juleka _still_ couldn’t help but think:

_Maybe this time._

And that just depressed her even more.

How many impossible things would Juleka continue to wait for?

Juleka could feel Rose’s anxious eyes glancing up at her, but she didn’t look down, instead fixing her eyes on the class photo being arranged, letting the light-hearted chatter of their classmates flow over her.

“Dude, I bet you’ll just outshine all of the rest of us…” Nino was saying off to her right. Normally she’d smile inside, listening to Nino and his best friend laugh.

“I’m gonna be in a photo with Adrien!” Marinette was squealing in front of her. Normally she’d try to suppress a chuckle, listening to one secret superhero obsess over another.

“It’ll be great, Juleka,” Rose was babbling next to her. “You’ll be in the photo and everything. And you’ll look beautiful! I mean you always look beautiful. Not that I spend all of my time staring at how beautiful you are. I mean…” Normally she’d pick up on the nervousness in Rose’s voice and wonder why she was stumbling over her words.

Juleka tried to listen, she really did, but she couldn’t repress the steady drum of _maybe, maybe, maybe_ that wouldn’t let up in her head

An avalanche of voices surrounded her, all of them happy and unconcerned (with the exception of Rose). They filled her brain and made her caustic side stretch like a cat in the sun.

“At least _you_ know you’re gonna be in the photo,” Juleka said. She wasn’t entirely surprised that the words had escaped from her head, but she wished she could reel them back in all the same. Her arms slipped out of their tightly crossed position as she looked away from two sets of curious eyes and one set of distressed ones. Marinette and Alya looked up at her from their seats on the stairs in front of them. Rose peered up at her from her side.

“No, Juleka, I’m telling you. You’re not jinxed,” Rose insisted. Juleka looked down at her friend, whose arms had come out from behind her back to curl under her chin. “This time it’s gonna work out, I can feel it. Right here.” Rose leaned against Juleka’s side suddenly, her hands covering her heart. Juleka couldn’t help but crack a little smile at her. Too cute. Not fair.

“What’s this about being jinxed?” Marinette asked. She and Alya stood, both looking at Juleka with concerned faces. Juleka looked down, letting her bangs cover her face as her tiny smile slipped away. Rose still leaned against her side, soft hair brush against her shoulder through the lace. Juleka sighed, letting Rose’s warmth smooth away her irritation.

“Ever since I was little, every time someone takes a photo of me, something always goes very wrong,” Juleka said. She closed her eyes for a moment, seeing all of the photos she’d been erased from flash behind her eyelids.

_Invisible._

“You’re wrong, Juleka,” Rose said. Juleka opened her eyes and focused on Rose who was curving forward to catch her downcast eyes. “You’ll see.”

“For sure. We’ll do everything we can to make sure it goes right this time,” Marinette said, turning bright eyes towards Juleka. Juleka smiled inside, watching Marinette’s brain lock onto an injustice like a heat seeking missile. She smiled at Juleka with an optimism that only Rose could challenge. “Don’t forget to smile,” Marinette said.

Juleka could feel her bracelet resting on her wrist through the fabric of her glove, anchoring her. She could feel Rose by her side, wishing her the world. She was staring into the eyes of the personification of good luck. And now she was hoping as her lips curled into a smile.

_Maybe this time…_

“Okay! Time to flash your pearly whites, guys,” the photographer said, bring their attention to the now empty benches for the photos. The students lined up, waiting to be placed. Juleka held her wrist with her one hand. _Maybe…_

“You kids take a seat on the front bench,” the photographer said, gesturing at the shortest kids in the class. Marinette and Rose gave Juleka encouraging smiles as they left to join Alix, Mylene, and Max on the front bench. Juleka stayed on the sidelines, her hand rubbing up and down her arm. She felt the cords of the bracelet stutter along her skin. _Maybe…_

“Look, Sabrina. They’re up front in the baby seats,” Chloe said. Juleka turned to look at the blonde snickering with Sabrina. She leaned forward, cupping her hands around her mouth. “Go on, rug rats! Don’t forget to take your thumbs out of your mouths,” Chloe called. Juleka’s fist clenched even as Marinette leaned around Mylene to glare.

“Well, next row,” the photographer said, dragging Juleka’s attention away from the girl that had just insulted her best friend. The photographer considered them for a moment, then pointed to Nathanaël, Alya, Sabrina, and Chloe. “You, you, you, and you. Go stand on the rear bench, please.” Alya gave Juleka a little smile as she walked towards the benches. Chloe, however, gasped.

“Wait just one minute,” Chloe said. She wrapped one arm around Adrien, pulling him to her as Sabrina walked away. “I’m supposed to be in the middle row right next to Adrien. Preferably the center. Look, we’re the same size.” Juleka fought the urge to roll her eyes as Chloe used her hand to demonstrate how “similar” she and Adrien were in terms of height. The photographer frowned at Chloe and Juleka thought that, just maybe, he hadn’t been tricked into dismissing the six-inch height difference.

“Nah,” the photographer said, looking thoroughly unimpressed. “Go stand in the back row behind the rest.” Juleka did her best to repress her smile.

“How dare you put me _behind the rest_ ,” Chloe said. She stomped up to the photographer who still simply watched her with his fists on his hips. “Do you _know_ who my father is?” Chloe demanded in full pout mode. She probably would have gotten in the photographer’s face if it weren’t for the fact that he was probably at least a foot taller than her.

“Is he a photographer?” the photographer asked. Juleka held down her snort. Chloe gasped and Juleka could see her fill with indignation.

“No,” Chloe said. “He’s-”

“Bummer. I could really use an assistant,” the photographer interrupted, losing interest in the conversation. “Now hurry up and take your place. Or I’ll put you up in front with the babies.” The photographer bent forward, raising his hands in a mocking gesture. Chloe groaned and gave in, heading towards the second bench with resentment oozing out of her. Juleka mentally applauded the photographer.

“The rest of you boys, go stand in the middle row,” the photographer said, sliding towards them before returning to his camera. The rest of the _boys._

So this was how it was to happen.

_Invisible._

“Perfect!” the photographer cried as he peered through his camera. “You guys are awesome. Now stop squirming and let’s get this photo shot.”

A quick word, a raised hand, probably would have fixed it. _Excuse me sir_ and she’d be in. But Juleka was abruptly very tired of fighting what was apparently fate. If the jinx was determined to keep her out, Juleka wasn’t going to argue. She didn’t really want to see how far the universe would go to erase her.

The photographer didn’t even see her. Rose and Marinette didn’t even know. Luck was out. _This time_ was out. Juleka was out.

Fingers found cool metal as Juleka’s hands came together against her tightening chest. The bracelet was so pretty and bright. Like the girl who had given it, not the one who had received it. Juleka opened the mirror, staring down at her reflection. Her hesitant fingers touched her bangs, moving them aside so that she could see her face. She didn’t _look_ invisible. But here she was on the sidelines. There was no place for her. Another year, another picture, another memory missed.

_Invisible._

“Uh, excuse me, sir,” a voice called. “You forgot Juleka.” For a moment, Juleka was certain that the voice was in her head, taunting her with what could have been. But then an arm was around her shoulder and Juleka was looking up at the photographer.

“Um, go stand in the middle row,” the photographer said. Juleka tracked him with wide wide eyes as he moved from one side of her to the other. “Next to that blond-haired boy.”

He- he _saw_ her.

He wanted her in the picture.

Juleka moved forward in a daze, squeezing past Ivan and Adrien to stand smack dab in the middle of the class, behind Rose.

“You’re gonna be right in the center,” Marinette said, turning her head to smile at Juleka. She knew now what voice had brought Juleka to the photographer’s attention. “All eyes will be on you. No more jinxed class photos.” Juleka felt the tightness in her chest ease and let a tendril of hope sneak into her heart. _Maybe…_

“No, this isn’t right,” the photographer said, glaring at the group of students. Juleka’s chest immediately tightened again. “Something’s not working here.”

It was nothing. Just a minor thing. Move someone around and it would be fine. The something messing it up wasn’t Juleka. It wasn’t.

“Uh, of course it’s not working,” Chloe said from behind her. “I’m in the wrong spot.” The photographer ignored Chloe, instead asking Ivan to move. Juleka felt eyes burning into the back of her head as the photographer shifted people. She knew it was Chloe. She was in her spot.

“Excuse me, but do we have a problem?” Mr. Damocles asked, an edge of annoyance in his voice, when the photographer made his fifth change and then stood glaring at the scene for yet another long moment. The photographer let out a long-suffering sigh.

Juleka was not the problem this time. She was _not_ the problem.

“It doesn’t matter where I put him, it throws the whole picture out of whack,” the photographer complained, gesturing at Ivan.

“My spot is unacceptable,” Chloe burst out. She lunged over then, shoving against Juleka’s shoulder.

 _No_ , Juleka thought, holding her ground against Chloe as she threw her weight against her. Chloe Bourgeois, of all forces of nature, was not going to screw things up this time.

 _Not_ this _time._

“That’s right, Juleka,” Marinette cheered her on. Juleka pushed back harder. “Don’t let her push you out of the way.” Chloe suddenly stopped pushing, the weight abruptly disappearing and causing Juleka to lurch sideways. Then Chloe’s _foot_ flew past Juleka’s face as Chloe threw her leg over Juleka’s shoulder.

Chloe’d finally cracked. At least that was certainly what it seemed like as Chloe tried to _climb_ over Juleka just to stand next to Adrien. Juleka pushed back against her, trying to walk the fine line between resisting and sending Chloe flying. She knew only too well how _that_ would end up. She could see Chloe’s crocodile tears now.

“Miss Bourgeois, behave yourself,” Ms. Bustier said from the end of the row. Chloe froze for a moment with her leg still thrown over Juleka’s shoulder. Her glare shifted from Juleka to Marinette.

“Hey, nobody asked you, loudmouth,” Chloe hissed at Marinette.

 _Nobody had to. Your_ leg _is on my_ shoulder _, you sociopath_ , Juleka thought, glaring up at Chloe.

“Hey, this isn’t gym class, you know, Chlo,” Adrien said, smirking at Chloe. Chloe huffed, but finally withdrew her leg from Juleka’s shoulder. Juleka sighed as the photographer started _another_ adjustment. She started to think that maybe she should just…

“There! Perfect!” the photographer cried. Juleka looked up in surprise. He was backing behind his camera with a smile on his face. Could it be…

“Uh, no, it isn’t!” Chloe sneered. “It’s not _perfect_ at all. I’m totally not next to Adrien.” Next to Juleka, Adrien sighed. In front of her, Marinette sighed. In fact, Juleka was pretty sure everyone in the room sighed a little.

“Please, Chloe. We still have sixteen classes to photograph.” Mr. Damocles said, turning unhappy eyes away from the girl to address the photographer. “Go ahead, Vincent.”

“Say spaghetti,” the photographer said with a grin, putting his eye to the camera once more. Juleka held her breath, fixing a smile on her face. No one moved. No birds fluttered in the vicinity. The photographer pressed his finger on the button. _Maybe, just maybe…_

“Oh, I don’t believe this,” the photographer groaned. Juleka wondered how many times her chest could tighten before her heart gave up and stopped trying to beat. “I’m sorry, I have to go fetch another battery. Nobody move.” Juleka closed her eyes. Forgotten, rearranged, pushed out of the way. Now this.

 _Of course_ , Juleka thought. Suddenly all of the people around her were too much, too close, her chest restricting and restricting until it felt like it _had_ to burst or maybe just implode. She ignored Adrien’s curious eyes as she squeezed past him and Nino and approached Ms. Bustier.

“Can I go to the bathroom?” Juleka asked. She needed to breathe. She needed to be away from all of these people for a moment.

“Yes, Juleka, but hurry,” Ms. Bustier said. Juleka felt her eyes on the back of her head as she moved away.

Juleka immediately breathed a little easier when she entered the bathroom. Silence greeted her like an old friend, wrapping around her and cushioning her aching chest. She entered a stall, breathing in and out, letting the solitude put her back together piece by piece. No impatient huffs, no concerned eyes. Just silence…

She’d go back in a moment. Juleka would walk back out and stand in her place next to her friends and she’d smile as the photographer took the picture and maybe this would all be over. She let herself believe that just like she let herself breathe for one moment more.

Juleka was just about ready to go back out when she heard a scraping sound and saw the door of her stall shudder. Wooden chair legs appeared under the door. She heard a quiet giggle and then the bathroom door open and shut.

 _No_ , Juleka thought. She leapt forward and unlocked the stall door. It wouldn’t budge. She rattled the handle, jerking at it again and again, trying to open the door, just open the door. The small stall suddenly wasn’t safe anymore; it was claustrophobic. She slammed against the door, battering at it like a bird in a cage. She had to get out, had to…

 _No_ , Juleka thought, ramming her shoulder against the black wall trapping her. _No._

Juleka didn’t know how many times she had slammed her shoulder against the door before it finally penetrated her brain. She wasn’t getting out. Juleka was trapped in a bathroom stall. She had no doubt that this was Chloe’s doing. Who else would care about locking Juleka in a bathroom?

Juleka thought about her class out there on the benches. Marinette grinning at the camera. Chloe looking smug as she stood next to Adrien. And Rose. Wonderful Rose looking at the camera with that smile that just wasn’t fair. Juleka thought about how they’d all chatter about how they looked in the photo. Rose would probably say that she didn’t look that great and Juleka would protest. But she wouldn’t be there. There’d be no record that Juleka was ever a part of this group, no proof that they’d ever cared about her.

Juleka sank down onto the lid of the toilet, unable to stand anymore. Her shoulder ached from slamming into the door. Her hands ached too, from battering against it, from clutching at the handle, from clenching into fists. Juleka stroked her bracelet. She didn’t open the mirror. She didn’t want to see what she looked like.

There was a burning in the back of her eyes. It was a familiar sensation even if she hadn’t felt it in a while. Tears began to collect in her eyes, filling and filling until Juleka closed them, forcing the tears to escape and flow down her cheeks. She heard shaky breaths issue from her lips. She felt herself tremble.

Juleka remembered the last time she cried.

_Invisible._

She’d begged her parents not to leave. Not again. Of course, they’d left anyway. And the tears flowed then as they flowed now, on and on until she was too empty and yet still too full, her brain weighed down with too many scars. That was years ago.

Juleka wondered why it hurt so much worse this time. Maybe because she’d allowed herself to hope for so much. Or maybe it was Chloe. Maybe it was Chloe reminding her that she was erased by her own family every single day as Chloe had erased their connections for years.

Maybe this wasn’t about a photo at all.

Juleka sobbed as she viciously examined her thoughts, probing her wounds with careless fingers.

Maybe this was about her parents who always left more than they returned.

Maybe this was about how no one ever saw her, passing by her every day without so much as a glance.

Or maybe this was about Rose.

Ah, that one hurt.

Maybe this was about the one person who saw her more than anyone else did and yet never saw all of her. Maybe this was about a girl who walked around with stars in her eyes and had given those stars to someone else. Maybe this was about that morning she came to school and Rose blinded her with that smile and showed her the photo she’d taken with the guy she liked with a look Juleka’d never seen before.

Maybe this wasn’t about a photo…

“Jule-” a voice called, only to be interrupted by a gasp. Juleka tried to stifle the racking breaths that were controlling her body, dragging her hands across her face to wipe away the tears. There was only one person that could be. The chair scraped against the floor as it was moved. “Poor, sweet Juleka.” The door to the stall swung open. Juleka’s hands dropped away and she looked up into Rose’s dismayed face.

“I missed the photo, didn’t I?” Juleka asked, standing. Her hands curled into fists at her sides.

“Yeah, another one of Chloe’s mean tricks,” Rose said, looking up at Juleka with wide eyes. She was so upset and it was because of _her_. Juleka’s chest only squeezed tighter at the sight of her.

“Why should I expect it to be any different?” Juleka asked, stepping past Rose out of the stall. This room had been escape mere minutes ago. Now it was stifling. Rose’s concerned eyes on the back of her head was stifling. “Nobody ever hears me or sees me. I’m invisible. Even in photos.” Juleka closed her eyes against the burning that started up again.

“Don’t say that Juleka. It’s not true!” Rose exclaimed behind her. Juleka felt herself tensing all over.

“Forget it,” Juleka said, turning back to look at Rose. “As long as Chloe’s in the picture, she’ll find a way to keep me out of it.” Juleka turned away. Her chest was so tight she couldn’t-

She ran for the door. She had to get out. She had to breathe.

“No, wait, Juleka!” Rose cried, distress and panic leaking into her voice. Juleka paused, still unable to ignore that sound.

“Really, Rose. Forget it,” Juleka said. Her hands clenched as she stood there. Rose was so unhappy and everything in Juleka screamed at her to fix it, just _fix_ it. But she wasn’t what Rose needed.

“Forget _me_.”

This wasn’t about a photo.

Juleka ran as the sobs tore their way out of her throat again. She ran as tears ran down her face. She ran from the thoughts that plagued her, the wishes and questions that burned in her mind like wild fires.

Why couldn’t they just see her? What would Juleka not give for them to just _see_ her? Was it too much to ask, was _she_ too much to ask?

_Invisible._

Juleka found herself in the park, stumbling blindly as tears fogged her vision. She found herself staring at the bench where she and Rose had sat having a friend date on Valentine’s Day.

_Invisible._

Juleka stumbled past it, heading for the shade. She found a bench in the corner and curled up on it, hugging her knees to her chest.

_Invisible._

With her eyes closed against the tears, she didn’t notice the little purple butterfly fluttering towards her.

She _did_ notice the energy coursing through her, but didn’t even have time to comprehend the change before she was gone.

 

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Juleka’s eyes burst open, darting around the room. Bright lights, gray walls, air conditioning. This wasn’t the park.

“Wh- where am I?” Juleka asked, thoroughly disoriented. She felt weak for some reason and very confused. She saw movement out of the corner of her eyes and looked over to see... Chat Noir and Ladybug? What were they doing there? They bumped fists as they normally do when an akuma was purified. An akuma…

Ladybug walked towards her, a sympathetic smile on her face. She gently took Juleka’s wrist in her hand and tugged her along, bringing her over to the only other person in the room. Mayor Bourgeois.

“Could you take this girl back to her school please, Mr. Bourgeois?” Ladybug asked pleasantly. Juleka initially felt a burst of amusement over Ladybug pretending to not know what school she attended. Then her words and actions sank in.

 _Oh God_ , Juleka thought. _I was the akuma_. Juleka watched Ladybug converse with Mr. Bourgeois in shock.

 _She_ was the akuma. It was _her_. Had she hurt anyone? Oh God, _Rose_. Was Rose alright? Of course she was alright. Ladybug’s magic fixed everything incurred during an akuma attack. But what had she done? What had she _said_?

“I’ll see you later, Chat Noir,” Ladybug said, walking away. Juleka surfaced from her thoughts just in time to see her turn and give her partner a salute and a wink before running for the doors. “Bug out!” Chat Noir stood for a moment, watching her go. Then he turned to them a grin stretching across his face. He swept a courtly bow, then turned and he too raced from the room. It was only then, watching the two heroes, who had both stood up for her earlier that day (at least Juleka assumed it was that day), that something much more alarming occurred to her.

Juleka knew who Chat Noir and Ladybug really were. Juleka had been akumatized. Juleka had been possessed by an akuma. Juleka had been possessed by _Hawkmoth_.

 _Does Hawkmoth know who Ladybug and Chat Noir are now!?_ Juleka thought, the notion screaming through her head, setting off alarms. Her mind played over the brief moments that she’d seen the two heroes. They’d seem relaxed. They hadn’t _looked_ like an akuma had used their identities against them. What did that mean? Did that mean that Hawkmoth didn’t know? Or did that mean that he simply hadn’t used that information this time? Or were Chat Noir and Ladybug simply covering _really_ well (not that they’d exhibited a whole lot of skill of covering in the past)? There were too many factors, too many possibilities, too many…

“You still go to Chloe’s school, right?” Mayor Bourgeois said, looking down at Juleka awkwardly. Juleka was momentarily jolted out of her panicked thoughts by the question. She looked up at the mayor, watched him struggle to meet her eyes. It had been years since he had spoken to her. After all, they only had the most tenuous of connections now. Juleka nodded at him and he let his eyes slide away from her in what looked suspiciously like relief. “Let’s go then. I have lots of important things to care of.”

Juleka followed the man out of the room, noting the stiffness of his shoulders as she sighed. She hated seeing Chloe’s parents. They always made her feel…guilty.

Speaking of guilt.

Mr. Bourgeois’s awkward silence afforded Juleka plenty of space to continue thinking about the identity dilemma the entire car ride to school. Her thoughts spun around and around in her head, never coming to any conclusion. There were so many questions and too few facts and without answers, she couldn’t know how to act. But there was one thing she was almost certain of:

Juleka should tell them.

Marinette and Adrien deserved to know that she had possibly given away their identities. If Hawkmoth _had_ learned who they were, they needed to be prepared. They needed to be able to defend themselves.

This was another point that swirled around Juleka’s brain without relief. She should tell them, but how? Was she supposed to just walk up to them in the morning and…what? Tell them that she knew their biggest secret? She barely talked to them on a day to day basis. This? This was blowing past every single barrier they had. Juleka didn’t know how to _do_ that. She didn’t-

“Juleka!” a voice called. Juleka looked up, surprised out of her thoughts yet again. She didn’t know when she had gotten out of the car, but she was standing in front of the school now. And there was Rose bouncing down the stairs towards her.

“Hey, Rose,” Juleka said, dredging up a smile. Now, looking up at the school and at Rose’s worried face, all of her emotions from before came flooding back. They seemed small now and far away. But they still sat in the pit of her stomach, heavy and cold.

“Are you okay?” Rose gasped as she came to stand in front of her. Juleka nodded.

“I’m okay,” Juleka said, letting a smile spread across her face. Rose suddenly grinned at her.

“I’ve got a surprise for you,” Rose said, bouncing on her toes.

“Another surprise?” Juleka asked, her fingers rising to touch her bracelet. Her stomach warmed as her fingers met cool metal. Then it was flooded with heat as Rose’s slender fingers wrapped around her hands. Juleka looked up to see the joy lighting up Rose’s face.

“Come on!” Rose laughed, pulling Juleka into a walk before turning to lead her to wherever this surprise was.

“Rose-” Juleka started once she could think past Rose’s fingers on hers.

“Hush,” Rose interrupted, casting a pout over her shoulder as she continued to pull Juleka along.

“But-” Juleka tried again.

“Nope,” Rose said, turning to walk backwards so that she could look at Juleka. “I know what you’re going to say.”

“Oh really?” Juleka asked, a smile pulling at her lips.

“Yup,” Rose said, smiling back at her. The smile faded a little. “You want me to tell you what you did when you were akumatized.” Juleka’s smile faded too.

“I need to know,” Juleka said quietly. “Just like you did.” Rose nodded quickly.

“And I’ll tell you,” Rose promised emphatically. Her smile returned full force. “But first, my surprise.” Rose turned back around to look where she was going and Juleka relented with a chuckle. Rose could be stubborn when she wanted to be. They would talk, but not until later.

Rose turned then, pulling Juleka through the gates of the park. Juleka only had a moment to wonder what Rose could have to surprise her here before her eyes fell on the group of students clustered around a bench. It looked like most of their class was there, talking and laughing together. And next to them…Next to them, the photographer was setting his camera up on a tripod.

“Rose…” Juleka said, gaping at the group of students. It couldn’t be…

Could it?

“Juleka’s here!” Rose called, waving at the collected students. They turned, all of them smiling as they saw Rose and Juleka coming. And then they started cheering. Juleka stumbled along behind Rose in a daze. She didn’t think she’d ever been the subject of so much attention before.

“Wh- what’s going on?” Juleka asked when she found her voice. Rose finally stopped dragging her when they reached the group of students. She beamed as she turned to face her and the sight would have stunned her if she wasn’t already overwhelmed by everything going on.

“We’re talking another class photo,” Marinette said, stepping forward. Juleka froze, her eyes locking onto Marinette’s face.

 _I should tell her_ , Juleka thought, staring at her. She looked so proud right now, so happy. She had done something good and she was proud of herself. A hand touched Juleka’s shoulder and she turned to look up at Adrien.

 _I need to tell them_ , Juleka thought. Adrien was smiling at her too. They were all smiling at her, their entire class, waiting, watching. She couldn’t tell them right now. There were too many people here.

People here. Here to take a photo.

They were all going to take another class photo for _her_.

They stood around her, all radiating friendship. Kim had his arms crossed over his chest, but he looked as pleased as if he’d organized this himself. Max stood next to him, pushing his glasses up as he granted her a small smile. Mylene leaned against Ivan, her face split in an excited grin, his in an encouraging smile. Alya and Nino stood together, their shoulders touching, looking almost as happy as their respective best friends. Nathanaël smiled at her shyly from under his red bangs, but he also bounced a little on his toes and Juleka knew that he was excited for her. Adrien and Marinette almost eclipsed the others with their happy grins. Less than an hour earlier, they’d been fighting to take her down and now they were trying to get her a picture.

Juleka’s chest tightened, but this time it wasn’t in sadness or anxiety or fear. Her chest was tight and her stomach was warm and Juleka thought she might just be happier than she had ever been because her classmates were here and they were going to take a picture for her and they were smiling at her and they _saw_ her. Juleka looked down at her best friend and felt the joy rolling off of her. She felt a smile begin to stretch across her face.

“Thank you,” Juleka said quietly, looking around at her classmates, trying to find words that could express the sensation in her stomach. “Thank you.”

“Ah, it’s nothing,” Alix said, pushing past Kim to stand in front of her with a smug smile. “Couldn’t leave you hanging, could we?”

“Well, are we going to take some photos or what?” the photographer asked, coming up to them with his hands on his hips. They all cheered again and the photographer began placing them around the bench. Juleka was put front and center on the bench with Rose on one side and Mylene on the other. Nathanaël, Adrien, and Marinette stood behind her. Juleka was surrounded by her friends.

“Okay, we’re all good here,” the photographer said, standing behind his camera once again. He looked up at the students. “Ready?” Juleka fixed a smile on her face. She wasn’t sure if it would work this time or not and she didn’t care. The fact that they had tried was enough. The photographer put his finger on the button and clicked.

No hands came up to cover her face.

No pigeons decided to make their camera debuts.

No blonde girls objected to their placements in the photo.

The picture wasn’t unbalanced.

The battery was charged.

The chip saved the picture and everything.

Juleka stared down at the camera that the photographer held out for her to see. She stared down at _her_ face. Right there for her to see, frozen in a happy smile for the rest of time. It was a picture of her and her friends.

She wasn’t invisible anymore.

Juleka wasn’t aware that she was crying until Rose’s soft fingers wiped away the tears.

“Oh, Juleka,” Rose said, wrapping her arms around the girl’s neck. Juleka smiled into her shoulder as she hugged her back. She pulled away after a moment, looking around at her classmates before turning to the photographer.

“Thank you,” Juleka said to him, smiling as she hadn’t in years. He simply nodded. Then, he held up his camera, his smile broadening.

“You know, I do not have anywhere to be,” the photographer said. “We could take some more if you would like.” Juleka blinked at him in surprise. She had never imagined getting more than just a class photo. A hand touched Juleka’s shoulder again and she looked up at Adrien.

“That sounds like fun,” Adrien said, grinning at her, an excitement in his eyes. “I’m in.”

“Me too,” Marinette said, bouncing next to Adrien.

“Sounds awesome,” Nino said.

All around, her classmates were nodding and saying they were in. Juleka grinned at all of them, nodding in return.

The next half hour was the most fun Juleka had ever had. They took photos and they were silly and they laughed and they talked and for the first time Juleka felt like she was part of them rather than an observer. Even the photographer seemed like he was having fun.

Juleka held on to the way this felt. She held on to the way her cheeks ached from smiling. She held on to the way her whole body warmed when everyone laughed together. She held on to the way words dropped from her lips with a freedom she’d only ever found with Rose. She held on tight and tucked the memories away in a safe room in her brain.

The time that they saw her.

The way that it felt.

 

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Later than night, after having a long talk with Rose about Reflekta, Juleka sat on her bed, running her fingers over the glossy photos she’d gotten printed. She, Rose, and Marinette making faces at the camera. Nino, Kim, and Adrien holding up finger guns around her. Everyone pointing at her for the camera.

Juleka looked around at her walls. There wasn’t much room to be had, but Juleka peeled off one of the Jagged Stone posters she had next to her bed, carefully putting up the pictures one by one. She sat back, looking at the final product. It warmed her all over again looking at those pictures, her friends’ faces smiling back at her.

Juleka focused on one photo of Adrien and Marinette. He had his arm slung around her shoulders and she was completely red. It was cute. It made Juleka chuckle. It was such a different girl smiling shyly out of that photo from the one who had winked at Chat Noir earlier.

Juleka regarded the two teens smiling at an invisible camera. She was pretty sure now that their secret was safe. Between what Rose had told her and the footage Alya had gotten, it seemed clear enough to Juleka that Hawkmoth had no idea who Chat Noir and Ladybug really were. At least not from Reflekta. It made her wonder how the connection between Hawkmoth and his victims worked, just how much he was privy to when he entered innocent minds. Did he only have access to some things? Did he only sense emotions? Or did he have some sort of dialogue with his victims? Or maybe…

Juleka stemmed the flow of questions, tucking them away to consider later. There’d be plenty of time to ponder Hawkmoth’s powers. She wouldn’t be getting any answers tonight. Instead, she lay back against her pillows, looking up at the smiling faces that now graced her wall.

It had been a long day. She had been forgotten, climbed on, locked in a bathroom, and akumatized. Yet somehow, she was less tired now than she had been when she woke up that morning. Nevertheless, Juleka drifted off to sleep with photographs dancing behind her eyelids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey dudes! Just a heads up that this is the last episode rewrite chapter that I have planned. From here on out, the plots are entirely my own creation. Juleka's in for a wild ride. There will be friendship. There will be obliviousness. And for all of you Julerose nerds, there _will_ be romance. Fluff is in store and there's a lot more to come with this fic. Let me know what you think so far or what you'd like to see in the future in the comments or hit me up on tumblr @[secretlyalya](http://secretlyalya.tumblr.com/). I'm always down for some fangirling.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who's kept up with this story and left kudos and comments. Comments honestly make my day and it is not an over exaggeration when I say that every time I see one I scream a little. Just a little. You guys are wonderful. Thank you.
> 
>  
> 
> Next on Powers of Invisibility: Adrien makes a mistake.


	11. Revelations and Fabrications

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juleka has a Meaningful Conversation.

The day that Juleka’s life began to change started out as a pretty normal day. She walked into the classroom, chuckled at her oblivious classmates and took a seat at her table, wondering if observing two teen superheroes in their natural environment would ever get old. She thought it might one day, but for now it remained amusing. It had been months since Juleka had figured out that Adrien and Marinette were Chat Noir and Ladybug and in that time, the two had failed to notice the obvious countless times. Honestly, it was bordering on the ridiculous and Juleka loved it.

“Hey, Alya. Hey, Marinette,” Adrien said, smiling at them as they passed him on their way to their seats.

“G-good morning, Adrien,” Marinette said back. She barely stuttered today and her face was only a little red. Juleka was proud of her progress.

Today, Juleka’s gaze was captured from the oblivious pancakes masquerading as superheroes by another set of teenagers. Nino was smiling up at Alya, leaning back to say something to her more quietly than Juleka’s nosy ears could hear. It wasn’t the first time Juleka had focused on Nino and Alya rather than Marinette and Adrien. The way the two whispered to each other was a little weird sometimes. Not exactly conspiratorial though they did that plenty in their wingman escapades, but something else. Something almost…

“Juleka!” Rose said, floating up the stairs with a smile on her face. “Good morning.”

Now that was something that Juleka definitely could never get tired of.

“Hey, Rose,” Juleka said. Her heart fluttered as Rose threw her arms around her neck in a quick hug. She smiled as the grinning girl withdrew. “You’re in a good mood.”

“Yes, I am,” Rose giggled. Juleka let the giggle combat the tightening in her chest as she remembered _why_ Rose was probably so happy this morning. It didn’t do much.

“So, I guess you had a good time at Ali’s dinner thing last night,” Juleka said, letting her bangs fall forward. She felt the bench shift as Rose bounced in her seat.

“Oh, it was so much fun, Juleka,” Rose said, rummaging in her bag. “There were so many pretty dresses and there was dancing and he gave me flowers and _guess what_?”

 _Prince Ali is going back to his own country?_ Juleka thought.

“What?” Juleka asked, keeping a firm hold on the sarcasm.

“Ali told me that he’s going to be staying in Paris for a while,” Rose squealed, her fists balling underneath her chin as she grinned at Juleka. She did her best to pull up a smile in return even though her stomach dropped.

“That’s… great, Rose,” Juleka managed. She looked away from Rose’s happiness. “Did he say why?”

“The kingdom of Achu wants to establish better relations with France so Ali and one of his older brothers are going to stay here as diplomats,” Rose said. The grin was still fixed on her face. “He-”

“Hey, what did you guys get on number fifteen of the physics homework?” Kim interrupted, turning in his seat to address them. Juleka tried not to sigh in relief as she was given an excuse to turn away from Rose. “ _Max_ says that it should be 10.8 but I got something different.”

“As I was trying to _explain_ , if you calculate the velocity and the distance correctly, then it’s obvious what the time is,” Max said, frowning at Kim. Kim frowned back.

“Not all of us can be math nerds,” Kim snapped.

“And not all of us can spend all of our time running in circles so I guess it’s fair,” Max retorted. Kim glowered down at him, crossing his arms. Juleka exchanged a glance with Rose, then reached for her bag.

“There’s no need to be harsh,” Rose said quickly, holding out her hands placatingly. “I’m sure we can figure this out.” Kim and Max just continued to glare at each other.

“Yeah, Max is right,” Juleka said, looking up from her physics homework.

“Aw,” Kim said. Max smiled at him smugly.

“You heard her, Kim,” Max said, holding out his hand. “You know the rules.” Kim grudgingly hauled out his wallet and pressed five euros into Max’s hand.

“Kim, Max, what have I told you about betting on homework in my classroom,” Ms. Bustier called from the front of the class. All four of them jumped and turned guilty eyes to the teacher smiling at them from her desk.

“Sorry, Ms. Bustier,” Kim and Max said in unison. Juleka noticed that Max still pocketed the money.

Juleka gladly turned her attention to the day’s lesson, letting squabbles about homework and news about princes fall to the back of her mind.

It was, all in all, shaping up to be a pretty normal day.

 

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Was it a comment on Juleka’s life that the sound of screaming didn’t make her day any less normal? Probably. Whether it said anything about her or not, the fact remained that Juleka was thoroughly unsurprised to hear sounds of terror and destruction rolling down the street. Juleka briefly wondered who had gotten akumatized this time. She wondered if she’d be able to get to Master Fu’s without too much trouble or whether she should just return to the school and see if the art room was still open. She hoped that Rose had gotten home okay and wondered whether she should check on her.

Of course, all of that ran through Juleka’s mind before she saw Ladybug and Chat Noir pelt around a street corner. They hurtled down the street, arms and legs pumping almost impossibly fast. Juleka was too far away to see their faces, but it was obvious that something had them spooked and she sure as hell was not about to stand in the middle of the street and wait to find out.

Juleka ducked past the iron fence stretching across a nearby alley and continued to watch from the safety of the narrow space as two superheroes ran for their lives. She only had a brief moment to wonder why they were running _on foot_ when an avalanche of what looked like fabric poured around the street corner after them. Yard after yard of blood red material roiled down the street in wide strips that acted as if they had minds of their own. They seemed more like tentacles than strips of fabric. The impression only grew stronger when the actual akuma rounded the corner.

The akuma was a woman with a red mask twisting across her face, and black hair flowing down her back, tossing as if there was a strong wind even though the air was still. Deep burgundy material covered her arms and torso, blending into the countless strips of red fabric that flowed from her waist, bearing her forward even as they reached for the fleeing heroes. She was kind of reminiscent of an octopus. If an octopus had dozens and dozens of tentacles that could flood an entire street. Juleka caught a flash of silver glinting somewhere in the flowing chaos of the akuma’s skirt and just made out Chat Noir’s staff before it disappeared once more into the ocean of fabric. Juleka watched the fabric tendrils wrap around lampposts, anchor around entire buildings, stop cars in their tracks. She understood why Chat Noir and Ladybug were running.

Juleka turned her attention back to the red and black figures still pelting away from the avalanche of fabric that pursued them. Chat Noir had lost his staff, Juleka knew that much. If Ladybug hadn’t lost her yoyo yet, she probably wasn’t going to risk it now. She watched them pause and look back at their opponent, looming over them and gaining on them all too quickly. Ladybug and Chat Noir exchanged words, then Ladybug threw her yoyo and flew off. Chat Noir continued running down the street, turning every now and then to shout something at the akuma. At first, Juleka couldn’t understand his words over the sound of fabric rippling, cars screeching, pedestrians screaming. Then, Chat Noir got closer and Juleka understood why the akuma seemed to be moving faster.

“Come on, Spidercloth,” Chat Noir shouted over his shoulder as he continued to sprint down the street, his voice only faintly reaching Juleka’s ears. “I’ve seen higher thread counts at Walmart!”

“How dare you?” Spidercloth screamed back. “I only use the highest quality fabrics!” A strip of fabric shot forward, hurtling towards Chat Noir. He glanced over his shoulder to yell at her again, seeing the tendril coming just in time to swerve aside. The fabric missed Chat by inches, instead curling around a tree. The sound of the stout branches cracking under the pressure was sucked into the cacophony of sound. Chat Noir turned his head back forwards and sped up, but Spidercloth was still gaining. Fast. He was getting closer and closer to Juleka’s hiding spot and Spidercloth was getting closer and closer to him.

Ladybug’s yoyo suddenly shot across Spidercloth’s path, clotheslining her. The akuma fell back for a moment, her fabric tentacles going taught to catch her. For a moment, Spidercloth’s attention wasn’t focused on Chat Noir and her tentacles remained still. The sound filling the street abruptly decreased as the rustling of fabric disappeared.

In the strange void that followed, Juleka clearly heard a loud beep. She had seen enough akuma fights and interviews to know what that meant. When the beeping started, the heroes got scarce and it wasn’t difficult to figure out why.

Chat Noir was about to de-transform.

He needed to find cover. Juleka watched him, expecting him to move any minute. However, he only stood there, his hands on his knees as he gasped in breath.

Whispers of rustling fabric began to float up the street again. Juleka glanced back at Spidercloth. Her body was still strangely limp, but she and her skirt was beginning to stir.

Ladybug was nowhere in sight.

Tendrils of fabric began to twitch along the street, loosening and tightening, bringing Spidercloth back up. She was shaking her head. Any moment now, she’d be back in action.

Chat Noir was just _standing_ there.

The fabric was moving towards him, sluggish, but purposeful and still he wasn’t moving. He didn’t even seem to notice, just breathing.

When Juleka heard another beep rise over the growing rustling, she made a decision. An incredibly stupid one, but a decision all the same.

Juleka lunged out of her hiding space and bolted for Chat Noir. The hero flinched when her hand closed around his arm, but he didn’t go on the defensive as Juleka had been afraid he would. Instead, he looked up at her in surprise, his eyes widening as he recognized her.

“Wh-” Chat Noir started, but Juleka was already running. She dragged Chat Noir behind her for a couple of steps before he started to run with her. They just made it past the iron gate into the alley when a scream rose from the akuma and the street was flooding with fabric again. Even with the rustle of material filling the air once more, Juleka still clearly heard another beep. They were coming a lot faster now.

“Wh-” Chat Noir started again, but Juleka stopped him by pointing in the general direction the beeps were coming from. Chat Noir looked down in confusion, his eyes widening as they locked onto his hand. His eyes flew up to hers as he realized his dilemma. He glanced around quickly, taking in the high walls, the dead end ahead, and, as they were plunged into a strange red twilight by fabric covering the one opening of the alley, the absolute lack of escape. When he looked back at Juleka, his eyes were wide as saucers. “Oh, sh-”

Green light rippled up Chat Noir’s body, leaving Adrien in its wake.

Juleka and Adrien stared at each other, both equally taken aback at the sudden change.

“Shoot,” Adrien said, swallowing nervously. Juleka blinked at him. Then she did something that surprised them both. She doubled over laughing. Adrien stared at her apprehensively as she was racked by laughter. After a moment, he chuckled nervously.

“Um, I guess we should…talk about this?” Adrien said hesitantly. Juleka marveled, not for the first time, at how different he was out of the suit. She chuckled again.

“Sure, Adrien,” Juleka said. He winced when she said his name. “But first, you should probably get back out there and help Ladybug with that akuma.” Adrien’s eyes widened again and his head whipped around to the red cloth barrier covering the alleyway.

“Oh, shoot. Right,” Adrien said quickly. He reached into his pocket, taking out a napkin and unwrapping it as he looked around. “Plagg?” The little black creature Juleka had seen in the library flitted up to Adrien’s hand, perching there and tearing into the little wedge of cheese that lay there and munching on it loudly. Now that she was closer, she could see the creature’s green eyes, its ears and tail. It almost resembled a cat. A flying cat. “I have to go back out there, so…you just…stay here and I’ll come back when we’ve taken care of the akuma.”

“And if it takes hours to take care of it?” Juleka asked, raising an eyebrow at Adrien.

“You’ll have to excuse him, he’s not great at thinking,” a high voice said. Juleka looked down to see the black creature grinning up at her. Apparently, it was a flying, talking cat. She wasn’t particularly surprised. It certainly explained why Adrien and Marinette always looked like they were talking to themselves.

“Plagg,” Adrien complained, frowning down at…it? Him? Her?

“I’ll text you my address. Meet me there,” Juleka said as another scream floated past the fabric. “Now go.” Adrien nodded at her sharply and turned back to Plagg.

“Plagg, claws out,” Adrien said. The black creature was sucked into Adrien’s ring and green light once again rippled over him, momentarily replacing the red light filling the alley. Chat Noir cast Juleka one last awkward glance and then he was shooting up out of the alley with the help of his staff. Apparently, it reset when Chat Noir de-transformed. Huh.

Juleka, however, was still trapped in the alley. At least until Spidercloth was given a reason to move. She surveyed the taught fabric covering the opening. She could see shadowy movements on the other side of the cloth, but with all of the fabric tentacles flying around, it was impossible to tell what was happening. She could hear Ladybug and Chat Noir shouting and Spidercloth screaming, but more often than not she couldn’t make out what they were saying. She got the occasional pun, but other than that there wasn’t much to go on.

Juleka sighed, leaning against the alley wall. There was nothing she could do but wait. It was only then that the reality of the situation hit her:

Adrien knew that she knew.

After months of knowing his secret from afar, she was now up close and personal. It almost felt like she had been the one unmasked when the timer ran out.

Honestly, knowing the truth about Chat Noir and Ladybug had become a part of Juleka’s life. A strange, completely one sided part part that Juleka rarely examined in depth and never, ever discussed with anyone. But it wasn’t quite so one sided anymore. Now she was going to have to _talk_ to  _Adrien_. Knowing his secret and talking to him about his secret were two very different things and Juleka wasn’t sure she possessed the social skills necessary to deal with the latter. As far as she had been concerned all the way up until this moment, she’d just continue watching him be ridiculous from afar and never have to _talk_ about it.

God, but she didn’t want to talk about it.

And why the hell had she offered her apartment? Okay, Juleka knew that her apartment had guaranteed privacy which was ideal for a conversation about secret identities. And that was the conversation (oh god) they were going to be having. But Juleka spent all of her time trying to get _out_ of her apartment, not bringing other people _into_ it. Even Rose had only been there a handful of times.

All in all, Juleka did not like this. It wasn’t the end of the world (probably), but she certainly was not thrilled. She sighed, glaring up at the fabric that still trapped her in the alleyway. She took out her phone and resigned herself to waiting as she texted Rose.

 **Juleka:** _Do you have Adrien’s number?_

 **Rose:** _Yes! Why?_

 **Juleka:** _I want to ask him out_

 **Rose:** _Really????????_

 **Juleka:** _No he said he’d help me with physics but he forgot to give me his number_

 **Rose:** _Oh good_  
**Rose:** _I mean good that he’s helping you_  
**Rose:** _not good that you’re not asking him out_  
**Rose:** _cus that would be really weird right_  
**Rose:** _me thinking that_

 **Juleka:** _Rose_

 **Rose:** _Yes?_

 **Juleka:** _Adrien’s number?_

 **Rose:** _Oh right!_

Juleka leaned against the wall in her alleyway-turned-prison and did her best to ignore the sounds of battle on the other side of the cloth barrier, firmly deciding that she would wonder at the turn her day had taken much, _much_ later.

 

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Juleka was beginning to wonder if Adrien was coming.

Not that she really _wanted_ him to come. Juleka had already decided she wasn’t too enthused about the situation. But that also partially meant that she really wanted to get it over and done with. It had been hours since the news had announced that the akuma attack was over. And yet, no Adrien. So Juleka was just sitting there, stewing, trying not to stew, and failing to focus on rereading one of her books for the tenth time. All while she waited for him to show up to have this stupid conversation.

Even so, she still jumped when there was a knock at the door.

Juleka’d been expecting the knock for hours, so when it actually came, she was highly annoyed to find that she was not even sort of prepared.

Adrien was at her door. Adrien was at her door and he was here to see _her_. Adrien Agreste was at her door and he was _waiting_ to see her. It took her a moment, but Juleka managed to get a message to her legs to start working. Then, the knock rang out again and she scrambled off of her bed. Something about a second knock sent her panicking and she rushed to get the door, wrenching it open.

Thus, for the second time that day, Juleka and Adrien were face to face more abruptly than either expected, blinking at each other in surprise.

“Um, hi,” Adrien said, lifting one hand in a little wave. Juleka blinked once more before reality set in. Adrien was here.

“Come in,” Juleka said, stepping aside so that Adrien could enter her apartment. He gave her a little smile as he walked past her, the awkwardness flowing off of him in waves. Then he stopped.

“Woah,” Adrien said as he took in her apartment. Juleka sighed a little. _That_ she’d been expecting.

Juleka’s apartment was a relatively good size, but it felt a lot smaller because it was stuffed to the brim with artifacts. The place looked a lot like a storage space for a museum. There were elaborately painted pots, statues, exotic plants, a couple different kinds of swords, ancient paintings and carvings and prints. There were several large bookcases stuffed to overflowing with thick textbooks and brimming with little knick-knacks. There was even a life sized replica of one of the terracotta warriors her parents had dragged home from China and shoved into a corner. There were dozens of relics from all over the world all stuffed into one apartment.

Juleka hated it.

“Yeah, it’s a little overwhelming,” Juleka said apologetically, looking up at Adrien through her bangs. He was staring around with wide eyes.

“It’s…it’s awesome,” Adrien said, grinning at her.

“It makes me feel like I’m living in a museum,” Juleka mumbled. She started walking towards her room. There wasn’t a real reason to talk there instead of the living room. It wasn’t like they were going to be interrupted. However, Juleka didn’t like to be in the living room any longer than she needed to be.

“I think living in a museum would be pretty cool,” Adrien said, still looking around as he followed her.

“I’d rather live in a home,” Juleka said, pushing open the door to her room and leading Adrien inside.

“I can understand…that…” Adrien said, his voice trailing off as he stopped once again. Juleka froze, awkwardly watching him as he surveyed her space.

Juleka’s room was her haven against the rest of the house and as such was pretty much an explosion of her. The walls had originally been dark purple, but only one wall was still that color and even then it was mostly covered. She’d painted a mural sized replica of Monet’s Water Lilies on one wall. Two whole walls were covered in chalkboard paint and splashed with song lyrics, lists, ideas, and tons and tons of little doodles in crisp chalk lines. The last wall, the one next to her bed, was covered in posters and photos, including the ones from the impromptu photo shoot in the park. Other than the chaos covering the walls, Juleka’s room was pretty bare. A bed, a desk, a bookshelf, a couch. There weren’t a whole lot of knick-knacks. The living room had plenty.

Juleka watched him take in her room apprehensively, her hands clutched behind her back. He seemed even more dumbstruck than when he’d seen the living room.

“This is amazing,” Adrien breathed as he stared up at her mural. Juleka felt her face warm.

“More amazing than living in a museum?” Juleka asked. Adrien looked down at her with wonder in his eyes.

“Definitely,” he said. Juleka knew that she was probably completely red now if the heat in her face was anything to judge by. “Did you do all of this yourself?” Juleka nodded, folding her legs under her as she sank onto her couch. Adrien stood in the middle of her room, turning in circles to take in everything on her walls.

“You can sit down, if you want,” Juleka said, when Adrien was still gawking a moment later. His eyes snapped down to her face, a sheepish smile joining the blush on his face.

“Sorry,” Adrien said. He took a seat next to her, his hands resting in his lap, his eyes still examining her mural. It was weird, him sitting there, admiring her artwork. Adrien belonged to a different world. Even at school, she was rarely this close to him, had never discussed anything real with him. Yet, here he was and here she was and even if his eyes were distracted by her walls, something _real_ hung between them waiting to be breached.

And Juleka had absolutely no idea how that was going to go.

Adrien’s eyes finally left the walls, focusing on Juleka’s face. He immediately became awkward, his shoulders tensing. He stared at her and she stared back. It seemed neither one of them knew how to proceed.

“Plagg can come out if he wants,” Juleka said, trying to say it gently as if Adrien was some sort of wild animal. He still jumped when she said the name. He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could the little cat creature zoomed out of his shirt.

“Thank god,” Plagg cried as…he? (Juleka still didn’t know the pronoun situation) zoomed out of Adrien’s shirt. “I thought I was going to have to listen to you two be awkward for ages.”

“Now you only have to listen to us be awkward for a little while,” Juleka said, watching the little being float up with fascination.

“I like her,” Plagg said to Adrien. Adrien gasped dramatically, whatever awkwardness he’d been harboring suddenly evaporating.

“You mean you like something other than camembert?” Adrien asked, his hand over his heart. Plagg glared at him. Juleka found it interesting that such a little creature could look so malevolent.

“Nothing will ever surpass camembert,” Plagg huffed. Juleka chuckled.

“So, um, what exactly are you?” Juleka asked, really hoping that the question wouldn’t offend. Hero and creature both turned bright green eyes on Juleka.

“He’s a-” Adrien started excitedly. Plagg zoomed up to Juleka, spreading his arms.

“I’m a kwami. A mystical being of great power of which you should be very afraid,” Plagg said, puffing out his little chest.

“Awesome,” Juleka said, smiling a little at him. Plagg floated off, examining her walls much as Adrien had.

“Nice room,” Plagg said, zooming up to examine some of her chalk doodles. “Much more homey than Adrien’s. Kid doesn’t have anything on his walls.”

“Yeah, except for that rock climbing wall,” Adrien shot back, rolling his eyes.

“A rock climbing wall is not fine art,” Plagg said, floating over to the mural.

“What do _you_ know about fine art?” Adrien scoffed.

“Living with you would be much less boring if you had Monet on your walls,” Plagg said, pretending to lounge on one of the lily pads. Juleka chuckled. Adrien shook his head, purposefully turning away from the kwami to look at Juleka.

“You seem to be handling the whole…” Adrien said, his voice trailing off. Juleka looked away from Plagg, raising an eyebrow.

“Superhero thing?” Juleka supplied. Adrien chuckled, his hand coming up to rub the back of his neck.

“Yeah, the superhero thing. You’re handling it pretty well,” Adrien said, his arm dropping back into his lap. Now that they had started talking, he seemed a little more relaxed. “I expected more…I don’t know, confusion? Disbelief? Screaming?”

“Well, I already knew so…” Juleka said, watching him with amusement. Adrien stared back at her.

“What?” he asked after a moment.

“I already knew that you were Chat Noir,” Juleka said.

“What do you mean you already knew?” Adrien asked, his eyes widening. Juleka chuckled again.

“I mean that I figured it out months ago,” Juleka said. Adrien’s mouth dropped open.

“Months ago?” Adrien asked.

“Months ago,” Juleka confirmed. Then she did her best not to laugh at the expression on Adrien’s face. Plagg popped up between them, waving his arms at Adrien. He didn’t even blink, still staring at Juleka.

“I think you broke him,” Plagg said in a flat voice, turning to her. Juleka nodded to the kwami solemnly.

“B- but…but how did you figure it out?” Adrien asked as Plagg zipped off. Juleka smiled again.

“It was more of a question of how didn’t I,” Juleka said. Adrien’s gape turned into a pout. “Seriously, you’re always disappearing.”

“How did you know I wasn’t just skipping school or something?” Adrien said petulantly. “Half the time I’m legitimately out for photo shoots.”

Originally, Juleka had known it wasn’t just skipping because Marinette was also disappearing, but she couldn’t tell Adrien that. They didn’t know each other’s identities and Juleka wasn’t going to be the one who changed that.

“I didn’t,” Juleka said instead. It was partially true after all. “There were a bunch of things that pointed to you, but I didn’t know for sure until you transformed in front of me-”

“Ah ha!” Adrien said triumphantly.

“Three months ago,” Juleka said, shutting him down. His face fell, then his eyebrows gathered in a frown.

“I transformed in front of you three months ago?” Adrien asked, puzzled. Juleka nodded.

“Evillustrator,” she said. His eyes showed recognition, but his face remained confused.

“Evillustrator? I was in the library when he attacked Chloe,” Adrien said. His frown stayed in place. “But I transformed behind a bookshelf, out of sight.”

“Yeah,” Juleka said with a smile. “Behind a bookshelf, out of sight, and in full view of the chair tucked into that corner. You didn’t even glance around before you transformed.” Juleka continued to smile as Adrien squirmed. This was even more fun than laughing at him from afar.

“So you’ve seen me transform _twice_ now?” Adrien asked, dismayed.

“Three times,” Juleka said, her smile widening as Adrien’s mouth gaped a little. Again.

“When was the other time?” Adrien asked. Juleka heard quiet snickering and knew that Plagg was enjoying this too.

“Remember the Puppeteer?” Juleka asked.

“Parts of it,” Adrien said, frowning. “I think I transformed in the conductor’s booth of a train.”

“And I was waiting on the platform,” Juleka said.

“But I didn’t see you,” Adrien protested.

“Maybe you would if you actually looked around,” Juleka said, laughing out loud when Adrien threw his arms up in exasperation.

“So you’ve known for months,” Adrien said, shaking his head. “I can’t believe I didn’t know.”

“Neither could I,” Juleka said, smiling to take the edge off. Adrien smiled back, his entire body radiating embarrassment.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Adrien asked. Juleka shrugged.

“Didn’t really seem like I needed to,” Juleka said. “It’s not like you wanted me to know and it wasn’t like I was going to tell anyone. It was just another thing I knew.” Adrien tilted his head, regarding her carefully.

“So you haven’t told anyone?” Adrien asked softly. Juleka shook her head. “And you aren’t going to?” Juleka shook her head again.

“Your Super Secret is safe,” Juleka said. Adrien grinned at her.

“Thanks,” he said. He let his gaze fall to his hands as they fiddled with his shoelaces. Juleka considered the boy in front of her. It was still weird that he was here in her room, but it was almost fitting in a way. They were in a weird place relationship-wise. They weren’t really that close, but he was seeing a place Juleka hadn’t shown to anyone other than the most important person in her life. They didn’t know each other all that well, but she knew something about him no one else did.

“Hey,” Adrien said suddenly, looking up at Juleka in revelation. “If you’ve known since Evillustrator, that means you knew who I was all through Horrificator.”

“Yeah,” Juleka said nodding. “Nice move with the shoe.” Adrien shook his head, but he smiled at her.

“Thank you,” Adrien said, doing a little bow in his seat. It was Juleka’s turn to shake her head. “So you also knew during Darkblade.”

“Yup,” Juleka said. Adrien’s face twisted as he tried to remember all the times Chat Noir had interacted with students from the school.

“And Princess Fragrance,” Adrien said, glancing up at Juleka.

“Thank you for not hurting my best friend,” Juleka said. She smiled even though her chest tightened a little.

“It wasn’t really possible to hurt her,” Adrien said, nose crinkling in annoyance.

“Yeah, she was great,” Juleka said, smile widening. Adrien snorted.

“If really annoying is what you call great,” Adrien said. Juleka shrugged. It was hard for her to think of Rose as anything other than great. Adrien shook his head, but returned to his thinking. Juleka could see the gears turning in his head as he moved through akumas. She watched as one by one they clicked into place. His head shot up and his eyes widened and Juleka knew he had gotten to the important one.

“And Reflekta,” Adrien breathed, staring at her. “You knew during Reflekta. You knew when you were _akumatized_.” Juleka nodded slowly.

“Yes,” Juleka said. “But he doesn’t know.”

“How do you know that?” Adrien asked, his eyes still wide.

“If he had been able to see it, he would have acted on it when I was akumatized,” Juleka said. Adrien opened his mouth to protest, but Juleka held up her hand. “Even if he hadn’t, wouldn’t he have acted with the next one? Or the one after that? Or maybe the one after that. It’s been months since I was akumatized and Hawkmoth has already proved that he’s not really patient.” Adrien considered her words, staring at her as he tried to decide whether or not he really needed to panic.

“She’s right, you know,” Plagg said, popping up next to her with a cube of cheese in his hands. A cube of cheese that looked suspiciously like the ones she knew were in her fridge. “If he knew then he would have acted by now.”

“Plagg, did you steal cheese from Juleka?” Adrien asked in an exasperated tone.

“You guys were taking forever and I was hungry,” Plagg said defensively. “It was only one cube.”

Adrien and Juleka looked at Plagg.

“Okay, okay,” Plagg huffed. “It was two.”

Adrien raised an eyebrow.

“Three?” Plagg said.

Juleka tilted her head.

“You might need more cheese,” Plagg said, firmly gazing up at her mural. Juleka chuckled and Adrien shook his head.

“Plagg,” Adrien whined, disapproval written all over his face. “We’ve talked about this. No stealing cheese. Do I need to house train you?” Juleka didn’t think Plagg had eyebrows, but it kinda looked like he was raising them.

“And how’re you gonna do that, kid?” Plagg asked. “ _Whine_ at me until I’m a proper pet? Ooo, or maybe you’ll talk at me to death about your crush on La-” Adrien’s hand shot out, snatching Plagg out of the air and cutting off his sentence with a squeak. Adrien glared at Plagg for a long moment.

“You know, it’d be a shame if I stopped asking the chef to stock camembert,” Adrien said, glaring down at Plagg.

“You wouldn’t dare,” Plagg hissed. He stayed still in Adrien’s fist.

“Try me,” Adrien said, his face stony. If Juleka didn’t already know that Adrien was a pretty terrible liar, she’d be impressed by his poker face. Plagg heaved a long heavy sigh.

“Fine,” Plagg said. “I’m sorry I stole the cheese alright?” Juleka snorted at the distinctly unapologetic apology Plagg delivered. Adrien glanced up at her sheepishly before heaving a sigh of his own and opening his hand to let Plagg zoom away.

“So the best part of being a superhero is the kind and helpful magical guardian, right?” Juleka asked, one eyebrow rising. Adrien chuckled a little, still looking rather embarrassed.

“You know, it feels like I’ve been asking most of the questions so far,” Adrien said, his hand coming up to rub at his neck again. “Is there anything _you’d_ like to ask?” he asked. Juleka regarded him, thinking about the question. She probably _had_ had questions at some point in the last three months. Juleka always had lots of questions. But now that Adrien asked, she was blanking.

“Um,” Juleka said, blinking at Adrien. He picked up on her hesitation and shifted in his seat, excitement brightening his face.

“Like, do you want to know how the transformation works?” Adrien asked.

“You say ‘claws out’ and Plagg flies into your ring,” Juleka said. Adrien pouted a little.

“Well, yeah. But it only lasts for a limited amount of time,” Adrien said, perking up again.

“Yeah, once you use that special ‘cataclysm’ move or whatever, your minutes are numbered,” Juleka said, nodding.

“How do you know _that_?” Adrien asked. His eyebrows furrowed and his lips twisted in what looked suspiciously like a pout.

“You know pretty much all of your akuma fights are televised, right?” Juleka asked with a raise of her eyebrow.

“Why does it feel like you somehow know more than me?” Adrien asked, shaking his head. Juleka felt a smile pull at her mouth. “Is there anything you _don’t_ know?”

“Tons of things, but I can’t think of them right now,” Juleka said. Adrien let out a little sigh.

“Well if you think of anything, you can always ask,” Adrien said after a moment. He sounded almost disappointed. Juleka cast about in her mind for something she wanted to ask, but she’d spent most of her day just stuck on this conversation and now she was kind of cleaned out.

“There is one thing,” Juleka said as she thought about the day. Adrien immediately perked up.

“Ask away,” Adrien said, sweeping his arm out.

“How did the fight go?” Juleka asked. Adrien deflated a little, his arm falling to his side. He tilted his head at her in confusion.

“The fight?” Adrien asked.

“Yeah. Today. Spidercloth,” Juleka said, raising one eyebrow again. He couldn’t have forgotten already. Indeed, the confusion melted away into an almost startled expression.

“Oh. Um, it went well. We got the akuma,” Adrien said. He seemed awkward again for some reason. Juleka pushed through it. Now that she had asked, she was going to get her answer despite all of her awkward instincts telling her to let silence swallow them.

“You didn’t get hurt or anything?” Juleka asked. Adrien’s eyes widened. He shook his head silently.

“No, I’m good. Ladybug heals everything so-” Adrien said, his gaze falling to his hands again.

“Not everything,” Juleka said. Adrien’s head shot up. “I’ve seen your bruises. I’ve _covered_ your bruises. You can’t tell me you don’t get hurt.” Adrien stared at Juleka for a moment. She fought to keep her eyes from darting away from him.

“Sometimes I’ll get bruises and stuff, but the only things that don’t heal are things I got outside of an akuma fight,” Adrien said quietly. “I really am fine.”

“Good,” Juleka said, finally allowing her eyes to leave Adrien’s face. Silence set in around them, heavy and thick with awkwardness.

Juleka’s mind quickly shifted into full panic mode. The talk had been going so well and she just _had_ to make it awkward. Knowing the boy’s biggest secret did not make her his friend. What made her think she had the right to ask questions like that? Adrien was probably trying to figure out how to politely tell Juleka to get her nose out of his business. To kindly shove-

“Thank you, Juleka,” Adrien said, startling Juleka out of her spiral of thoughts. She glanced up at him from under her bangs, taking in the shy smile, the sincerity in his eyes. “Thanks for asking. I- I’m not used to anyone checking up on me like that.” A true smile spread across Adrien’s face.

“No problem,” Juleka said, smiling back. Her chest tightened as she wondered just what kind of life this boy led that he’d be so blindsided by someone asking how he is.

“This is kinda weird,” Adrien said. Juleka looked up at him. His face reddened a little and his hands flew up in front of him. “I mean, like- not _bad_ weird, just different from what I’m used to. I didn’t mean- I just haven’t ever had anyone to talk to about this stuff.” Adrien spoke quickly, nervousness bleeding into his voice. He looked down at his hands. “You know?”

“I get it,” Juleka said. It _was_ kinda weird. She wasn’t used to talking to anyone about this either. But that was probably a bigger deal for Adrien what with all of his city saving and everything. He looked back up at her, a small smile flitting across his face. Silence descended on them again. It was less awkward this time. It wasn’t completely awkwardness free, but it wasn’t suffocating anymore. Both of them were thinking now.

“So, uh, where are your parents?” Adrien asked, breaking the quiet. Juleka raised an eyebrow at him, trying to follow his train of thought from superhero to her parents. Adrien seemed to realize how weird the question sounded and words started rushing out as he tried to clarify. “I mean you just seemed pretty sure they wouldn’t interrupt us so I just wondered if- like are they out tonight, or…”

“You could say that,” Juleka said. Adrien raised an eyebrow at her. “They’re in Egypt.” His other eyebrow joined his first halfway up his forehead.

“Wow, that’s cool,” Adrien said, obviously surprised. However, his surprise soon morphed into a mischievous look Juleka had only seen on Chat Noir until now. She leaned back, unsure of how to take this new expression. “Did they go to find a good _Cairo_ -practor?”

“Oh my god,” Juleka said, shaking her head slowly. “No.”

“Are you in de- _Nile_?” Adrien asked, the innocent smile playing across his face somehow making him look even _more_ mischievous.

“Why?” Juleka asked, feeling a little betrayed by her own small smile.

“ _Tut, Tut_ , Juleka, you should know better than that,” Adrien said, outright grinning now.

“Stop,” Juleka said, finally releasing a little chuckle. Adrien sat back with a pleased expression on his face as if he had successfully completed some sort of mission.

“How long will they be in Egypt?” Adrien asked, still beaming at her.

“Not sure,” Juleka said, shrugging. “They’ve finished their book so they’ll probably only be there for a couple more months.” Adrien’s smile slid off of his face.

“They won’t be coming home for a couple _months_?” Adrien asked incredulously.

“No, they won’t be leaving _Egypt_ for a couple months,” Juleka corrected. “They’ll probably go back to China after that.”

“So…when _will_ they be coming home?” Adrien asked.

“They usually come back for Christmas,” Juleka said, shrugging again. Adrien’s eyes widened.

“Usually?” Adrien asked. Juleka nodded.

“Some years they’re too busy with whatever they’re researching so they stay through Christmas,” Juleka said. Adrien was wearing the same dumbfounded look Rose had worn when _she’d_ learned about her parents and their work. It was strange, seeing him react in the same shocked fashion. Partially because for so many years, the absence of her parents had simply been the norm. A norm that sucked and that Juleka hated, but a reality nonetheless. No matter what she did, they were only ever temporary existences in her life. But it was also strange because Adrien was reacting the same way Rose had, but Rose had already been Juleka's best friend when she realized...

“So…so you basically live here alone,” Adrien said.

“Basically, yeah,” Juleka said. Adrien looked away, trying to wrap his brain around her life. He shook his head slowly. Juleka couldn’t tell if it was in disbelief or disapproval or what. Whatever it was, it was strange seeing the details of her life affect him.

Juleka’s phone buzzed in her pocket. She fished it out and looked at the text she’d received.

 **Rose:** _How’s the studying going? <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3_

Juleka smiled a little, then winced.

“What’s up?” Adrien asked.

“When I got your number from Rose, I told her that you’d offered to help me with physics and that’s why I needed it,” Juleka said. She sighed.

“I’m sorry,” Adrien said. Juleka looked up at him. He was looking down at his hands again, his shoulders hunched a little.

“Why?” Juleka asked.

“You’re having to lie for me,” Adrien said, his shoulders hunching a little more.

“It’s not like you asked me to,” Juleka said.

“I know, but-” Adrien started.

“You didn’t even choose to tell me. This is at least ninety percent on me,” Juleka said.

“But you’re doing it for _me_ and you’re having to lie to Rose and you were sighing and-” Adrien said, rapidly approaching babbling territory.

“First of all,” Juleka said, cutting Adrien off before he could work himself up anymore. “You save Paris all the time, so _duh_ , I’m doing it for you, because you deserve it.” Adrien finally looked up at her, his eyes wide again. Juleka shook her head a little. “Second of all, I was sighing because I actually do have to do physics.”

“Oh,” Adrien said, a sheepish smile crossing his face. It grew into a real smile in the next moment. “Well I can help you with that. That way it won’t even be a lie.”

“Adrien, you don’t have to-” Juleka started, but it was Adrien’s turn to interrupt.

“I _meow_ -st,” Adrien said, grinning.

This was still weird. Adrien being there and talking to her. But she also kind of really hated what they were working on in physics and she hated it more than she was weirded out, so Juleka relented with another sigh and retrieved the homework from her backpack.

Adrien, no surprise, did end up being pretty helpful with the physics. He helped her for the next hour or so until Plagg popped up and started complaining about his criminal lack of cheese. The two bickered until Plagg’s complaining overpowered Adrien and he reluctantly concluded that it was time for him to go home. Juleka walked them to the door, chuckling as they continued to shoot comments back and forth all the way there. Plagg finally fell silent when they reached the door and Adrien and Juleka just stood there looking at each other for a moment.

When they had stood there earlier that night, awkwardness abounding, they had been acquaintances at best. Like, really friendly acquaintances. Their relationship was already so different from what it had been. Not always less awkward, but certainly different. They knew so much more about each other now, things they’d never expected to know. They shared a secret that nobody else (discounting the magical talking cat creature) knew. That didn’t feel like friendly acquaintances, but Juleka didn’t really know what to call them now.

“Thank you, Juleka,” Adrien said, smiling at her. Juleka nodded in return, knowing that it wasn't the study session he was thanking her for. “I’ll see you tomorrow?” Juleka nodded again.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said, reaching for the doorknob and waiting for Plagg to disappear beneath Adrien’s shirt before opening the door. Adrien hesitated on his way past her, pausing just inside the doorway.

“Hey, Juleka?” Adrien asked softly. Juleka looked up at him expectantly. “I’m sorry about your parents.” She looked at him for a long moment. She could see something flickering in his eyes, some emotion digging its way towards the surface. She nodded slowly.

“Me too,” Juleka said. Then Adrien stepped past her and made his way down the hall. Moments later, he was gone.

Juleka closed her front door and leaned against it, trying to assimilate her life yesterday with her life today. It seemed like so much had happened, but it had only been two conversations. Two conversations to change…what exactly? What was tomorrow going to be like? What would be changed? She’d still walk into school, probably still chuckle at Adrien. After all, he was still completely oblivious to Marinette’s identity. She’d still sit in her seat and still marvel at Rose when she came in.

What would change?

Eventually, Juleka wandered back to her room, deciding that she’d just have to wait for tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next on Powers of Invisibility: a little jealousy never hurt anyone... right?


	12. Greener Gardens

Juleka was running late. She rushed down the sidewalk, her bag bumping against her leg, hoping that she’d get at least a moment to chat with Rose before class started. It wasn’t very likely since Juleka had woken up almost a full hour late, but she hoped anyways. She walked a little faster, the brisk wind not doing much for her disorientation. Juleka rarely woke up late and it was throwing everything off. Normally she’d have a leisurely journey to school, enjoy the lovely Paris morning, and look forward to seeing Rose. Today, she dodged slower pedestrians and mourned her normally relaxed schedule. When she finally reached the school, she took the stairs two at a time.

Juleka was so thrown off by her late rising that she didn’t even think about Adrien until she walked into the classroom and there he was. She slowed as they made eye contact. She wondered if she was wearing the same startled expression he was. His face quickly changed as a smile stretched across it and he lifted his hand in a wave. Juleka waved back a little hesitantly, then moved past him towards her seat. She’d thought her morning had been thrown off before, but now…

“Juleka!” Rose said brightly. Juleka looked up, a smile stretching across her face as she met her eyes. Just the sight of her grounded Juleka a little bit.

“Hey, Rose,” Juleka said, putting her bag down. There were actually a few minutes left until the start of class, so Juleka had some room to breathe. She reached into her bag, absentmindedly listening to Rose and letting what remained of her routine settle her mind.

Of course, that was until a movement at the front of the class drew Juleka’s eye and she looked down to see Adrien walking up the stairs towards them. He stopped next to their desk, his hands in his pockets, a shy smile stretching across his face.

“Hey, Ju,” Adrien said a little nervously. Juleka blinked at him in surprise, a slight smile spreading across her face reflexively. He’d called her _Ju_. A _nickname_. Juleka had never had a _nickname_ before. She didn’t know what to do with a _nickname_. She’d woken up late and then Adrien had waved at her and now he was talking and he’d given her a _nickname_ and Juleka didn’t know what to do with that so she just…

“Actually, I’m an atheist,” Juleka said, the words falling out of her mouth before she realized they were coming. Adrien froze, the smile sliding off his face in favor of a gaping o shape, his eyes widening. Everyone within earshot stilled. Even Kim and Max turned around, shock registering on their faces as well. So many pairs of eyes burned down on her, seeing her, thrusting her into the spotlight. Juleka could feel Rose’s eyes on her back…

Abort. Abort. Social cues misread. Juleka’s brain shifted into overtime trying to save her from this social emergency. Was the religion joke too far? Or was it the joke part? Was Juleka not allowed to make jokes? Did you have to be a certain level to make jokes? Did she do it wrong? Oh god, she gets a nickname and all of a sudden she thinks she can make _jokes_? Adrien had just seemed so friendly and she’d spent all night listening to him and Plagg oh god oh god oh-

Juleka’s panicked thoughts were abruptly washed away on a tide of laughter.

All at once the delighted sounds crashed down on her. Adrien’s formerly wide eyes were squeezed shut as the laughter tumbled out of his mouth, gaping open now for different reasons. He was quickly turning red. Ivan was chuckling, Mylene was laughing, Max was snickering, Kim was snorting, and Rose…

Juleka finally allowed her gaze to rise to Rose’s face as the light giggle reached her ears. Her eyes were bright over her small smile, the giggle bubbling past her pink lips to warm Juleka’s heart. A smile tugged at Juleka’s lips, smoothing out the last of the panic in her brain.

“Ah. Atheist. Woo. That was a good one, Juleka,” Adrien gasped, wiping tears- tears- from his eyes. “I’ve never heard you make a joke before.”

“Oh, Juleka makes really great jokes!” Rose’s voice piped up next to Juleka. She felt her cheeks heat up as a blush fluttered into existence. She met Rose’s eyes, saw the pride there.

“I guess I’ll have to think of something else to call you,” Adrien said, grinning down at her. Juleka stared up at him, startled all over again. Rose was staring at him too. “Anyways, I just wanted to say hi, so, uh, I’ll see you later.” Adrien waved, suddenly awkward, and started back down the stairs to his own seat. Juleka watched him for a moment as he sat back down next to Nino, who seemed just as confused as Juleka was.

Juleka had a clear map of class relations in her head that she liked to call Juleka’s Theory of Seating and it boiled down to the front of the class and the back of the class. Everyone in the class was more or less friends due to years of suffering together. Some people were more friends like Kim and Max or Sabrina and Chloe. Some people were less, like Nathanaël and Marinette or Mylene and Nino. The people who were less friends were still friendly, but weren’t all that close, closer to acquaintances than friends really.

Juleka’s theory was that these friendships were influenced and dictated by seating arrangement. Certain people gravitated towards the front of the class while others gravitated towards the back. Big personalities like Marinette and Alya found each other and staked their claims at the front of the room. Wallflowers like Juleka and Nathanaël generally hid in the back and let the personalities clash it out in the front. People like Nino and Rose sometimes ended up in places atypical to their personalities due to surprise friendships or outside forces, but most of the time, front-of-the-class people found friends in the front and back-of-the-class people found friends in the back.

Juleka was a back-of-the-class person through and through. She liked the back. It was comfortable. It was safe. Never much of a risk of too many looks. Never much of a risk of getting called on. One could doodle or listen to music in relative safety. Juleka was about as much of a back-of-the-class person as Adrien was a front-of-the-class person. He liked being called on. He made friends with people like Marinette and Chloe and Alya and Nino (who, while he tended towards being a back of the class person, was actually seat-fluid). He spoke up during arguments. He spent his spare time saving Paris and giving interviews on TV.

So, it was undeniably weird for Adrien to leave the front just to say hi to Juleka in the back. They were _less_ friends. They came from opposite sides of the classroom. They were like the Romeo and Juliet of friendships and everybody watching had no clue that they’d had a weird kind of balcony scene the night before.

But…

He’d given her a _nickname._

“Oh my goodness, he likes you.” Juleka was ripped out of her thoughts like a weed ripped out of a garden and her gaze snapped to Rose’s face so fast her neck popped. Rose was looking at her with wide eyes and what was probably supposed to be a smile but looked more like…a wince?

“What?” Juleka blurted, staring at Rose and her smile-wince. “No, he doesn’t.”

“Juleka, he came over here to talk to you,” Rose said, her voice almost _too_ bright.

“Friends talk to each other,” Juleka said. She realized that she sounded defensive, but she couldn’t really turn it off. There were a lot of things at play here and none of them were Juleka’s to tell.

“He gave you a nickname,” Rose said. “And he smiled at you.”

“Both things that friends do,” Juleka said. She glanced at the front of the classroom where Ms. Bustier was nowhere to be seen. For once, Juleka really wanted her conversation with Rose to end.

“Since when are you guys friends?” Rose asked, still sounding weird.

 _Since he introduced me to his little fairy friend_ , Juleka thought.

“Since he helped me with my homework last night, I guess,” Juleka said, shrugging. Why did Rose sound weird?

“Which he _offered_ to do,” Rose said. Juleka sighed. She’d known that would come back to bite her.

“Because he’s nice and I needed help,” Juleka said firmly. “He doesn’t like me, Rose.” Rose tilted her head at her.

“But what if he does?” Rose asked. Rose seemed weird and Juleka couldn’t figure out why. She was so thrown off by the morning’s events that she couldn’t even read her best friend anymore.

“Doesn’t matter,” Juleka said, shrugging it off like her life depended on it.

“Why not?” Rose asked.

“He’s not my type,” Juleka said quickly. She almost immediately regretted it as she felt Rose shift beside her. A moment of strained silence fell between them and Juleka could feel the question building inside of her. She always avoided talking about these things with Rose….

“Wh-what _is_ your type?” And that was why.

 _You_ , Juleka thought.

 _Short golden hair_ , Juleka thought.

 _Big blue eyes_ , Juleka thought.

 _Small soft hands and a smile that somehow lights up my whole world_ , Juleka thought.

 _My type is you_ , Juleka thought.

“Female,” Juleka said.

“Sorry I’m late, class,” Ms. Bustier said as she walked into the classroom. Juleka could feel Rose’s eyes boring into the side of her head. She fixed her eyes on her tablet and tried very hard not to panic. “Please open your history textbooks to chapter four.”

It wasn’t even until halfway through the class period that Juleka finally realized that she had just come out to her best friend.

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One would think that in three years of friendship, sexuality would have come up at least once. And yet, the fact of this matter was that it hadn’t. If it had, Juleka would have been honest. She was lesbian. It wasn’t something she purposefully hid. She didn’t feel like she needed a whole coming out scenario. It was a fact of her existence, like her hair color and her genetic predisposition for Alzheimer’s disease. It had never seemed to matter.

But for some reason, it seemed to matter a whole lot now.

By the time the bell rang, Juleka was no longer quite sure which direction was up. Adrien had transcended class boundaries and Rose had been weird and then Juleka had gone and told her that her type was female (who _does_ that?) and now she was more or less ready to call today a bust and just go home and try again tomorrow.

“Are you ready for the test in chemistry?” Rose asked. Juleka looked up at her in surprise. Rose was standing next to their table with her bag in her hands, smiling down at Juleka.

“Um, kind of,” Juleka said, sliding her tablet into her bag in an attempt to look more put together than she actually was.

“I’m not ready at all,” Rose said sadly, deflating a little. She perked up, smiling at Juleka again as she bounced on her toes. “If I can get out of PE, can we study together?” Juleka blinked at her. Then she nodded.

“Yeah, sure,” Juleka said, somehow managing to smile back. “I could use the studying, too.”

“Great!” Rose said, clasping her hands under her chin. “I’ll talk to Mr. D’Argencourt. Meet you in the library?” Juleka nodded. Rose tilted her head and gave her a small wave before turning and floating down the steps. Juleka watched her go, feeling the realm of normalcy slowly take hold. She smiled to herself.

Juleka didn’t know if Rose had realized just how thrown off she was or if she had just (somehow) acted that way naturally, but either way, she had put Juleka back together with a few words and a smile and Juleka was grateful. She stood and started off for study hall, wondering if perhaps she should have accidentally come out ages ago.

 

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“Hey, Juleka!” a voice called. Juleka turned, surprised that anyone else was in the hallway at this time. Adrien was jogging towards her from the other end of the hallway, his blond hair flopping as he caught up with her.

“Hey, Adrien,” Juleka said, watching him slow to a stop in front of her. Adrien immediately turned into an awkward puddle, his eyes sliding to the side, his shoulders tensing, one arm rising to rub at his neck.

“Um, I just wanted to say sorry?” Adrien said, but it came out more like a question. He risked a glance at Juleka’s face, then immediately averted his eyes again when he met her raised eyebrow. “I felt like this morning was a little weird and I thought maybe I crossed a boundary and I wanted to apologize. I just assumed we were friends after everything we talked about and that was out of line and I just made up a nickname and that was out of line too and I’m sorry.” Adrien’s eyes remained firmly on his feet as he babbled. It was interesting to Juleka how, even when he was babbling, it still kind of sounded like he was writing an essay. She was used to much less coherent babbles.

“I’ve never had a nickname before,” Juleka said when Adrien finally stopped. His head shot up, eyes searching her face. A grin popped up on his face.

“I don’t get to use them a whole lot,” Adrien said, excitement radiating out of him. “Nino’s name is too short. Mine too.”

“What about Chlo and Adrikins?” Juleka asked. Adrien’s nose wrinkled and Juleka smiled.

“So…” Adrien said slowly. His eyes were on his feet again. He glanced up at her with big eyes. They were green, not blue, but it still reminded her of Rose. “Does…does this mean we can be friends?” His voice was soft and hesitant, like there was still a possibility that Juleka would say no. Her chest tightened.

“If you want to,” Juleka said, offering Adrien a small smile.

“That’d be awesome!” Adrien said, his smile threatening to split his face. Juleka chuckled again.

“Then we’re friends,” Juleka said.

“Great!” Adrien said, barely able to contain his enthusiasm. “I’ll see you later then…Jules?”

“I like it,” Juleka said, her smile growing. A _nickname_.

“Me too,” Adrien said. He started walking backwards, moving on his way to wherever he’d been going when he saw her. He lifted one hand in a wave. “Later, Jules.”

“Later, Adrien,” Juleka said. She turned and continued on her way to the art room. She shook her head. He gave her a _nickname._

 

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“Maman, we’re home!” Rose called as she and Juleka came in the front door. Juleka was greeted by a wave of scent. Something baking and flowers growing.

“Hello!” Mrs. Lavillant called from the kitchen.

“Hello, Mrs. Lavillant,” Juleka said as she followed Rose to her room. Rose pushed open the door, dropped her bag by her desk, and flung herself down on her bed.

“I know I failed that test, Juleka,” Rose said into her pillow. Juleka just chuckled, putting her bag down a little more gently and pushing Rose’s legs aside so that she could sit down.

“You didn’t fail, Rose,” Juleka said as she folded her legs under her. Rose twisted, folding her own legs as she sat up and leaned against the wall.

“Chemistry has hated me ever since I sprayed that perfume,” Rose sighed. “There’s nothing for it. Princess Fragrance has cursed me.” Juleka’s chest tightened a fraction at the memory.

“You’ll be fine,” Juleka said. “We don’t need any more curses around here.”

“True,” Rose said, a giggle escaping her lips.

“Speaking of Princess Fragrance,” Juleka said quietly, trying her hardest to ignore the painful drumming against her ribs. “How’s it going with Prince Ali?” It got harder as she watched Rose’s eyes light up.

“Oh, Ali is fantastic! He’s really enjoying living here in Paris. The other day, he went to this orphanage and…” Rose bubbled over with enthusiasm as she told Juleka about Ali. Juleka tried to listen, she really did. And she tried to support Rose in all of her endeavors, seriously. Ali made her happy. That was obvious enough from the way her voice rose and fell and her hands fluttered and her eyes shone. He made her happy and Juleka wanted that to be enough for her, honest.

That didn’t seem to stop her chest from constricting as Rose’s happy burbling flowed past her ears.

It didn’t stop her stomach from dropping whenever she mentioned his name.

It didn’t stop the bitter thoughts that sprang to mind at the look in Rose’s eyes.

“What do you think?” The question broke through Juleka’s thoughts, snapping her out of her unhappy internal monologue.

“What?” Juleka managed. Rose giggled.

“Lost in thought again, Juleka?” she asked, her giggle floating up again. Juleka watched in fascination as pink spread across Rose’s cheeks.

“Juleka?” Rose asked quietly. Juleka was brought back to reality a second time. She looked away from Rose’s happy face.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying dating him,” Juleka said quietly, trying to remember how people sound when they’re happy.

“What?” Rose asked, her voice rocketing up into a squeak. Juleka glanced up at her in alarm. Her face had been pink before, but now it was red.

“No, no, no, no, Ali and I aren’t dating,” Rose said, her voice in that same squeaky octave, her hands fluttering up in a rush to deny Juleka’s assumption. Juleka hated how her chest squeezed again, hope flooding in. She hated how her emotions betrayed her when her logic said that hope was not to be had here.

“You’re not?” Juleka asked, somehow happy anyways. “But he takes you to fancy dinners and he gives you flowers and you’re always talking about how he’s so nice and-” Rose’s hands started fluttering again, quieting Juleka’s words.

“Yes, but only as friends. Yes, he’s cute and nice and a prince and I do like him, but-” Rose’s frantic voice abruptly cut off.

“But what?” Juleka asked, concern flooding her now. What if Ali had done something to her? What if he had broken her heart? How could Juleka not know what was going on here? Had she really been so preoccupied with loving her that she hadn’t noticed her heart get broken? Guilt poured in alongside concern, pushing Juleka to ask again, despite, or perhaps because of, Rose’s averted eyes, her frantic hands, her red face.

“But what, Rose?” Juleka asked. Rose looked up at her, emotions struggling for dominance in her face. Juleka couldn’t read her. There were too many things there and none of them made sense. Embarrassment? Reluctance? Determination? Rose averted her eyes when she finally opened her mouth.

“Well,” Rose started, her voice almost inaudible. Her head ducked down, almost between her shoulders. She looked so little. Like a fragile bird. Juleka put her hand on her shoulder, trying to ease her obvious discomfort. Rose shyly looked back up at her, her eyes wide. When she continued, her voice was still so quiet, even Juleka could hardly hear it. “I kinda like someone else.”

It was amazing how so few words, delivered with the utmost innocence and fragility, could sucker punch Juleka so hard in the pit of her stomach. Or perhaps it was she herself that caused so much pain. After all, it wouldn’t hurt nearly as much if she could just find a way to quell that hope that bubbled up inside of her before being ruthlessly destroyed. Rose literally could not be talking about her.

God, it sucked being in love with a straight girl.

“Oh,” Juleka said, fighting down every impulse she had and dredging up the friend protocols. A new crush. Exciting. “Who is he? Why didn’t you tell me?” Juleka asked, trying to substitute hurt for excitement. Another guy. Young love. Woohoo.

“Um,” Rose said, her eyes widening before they flickered away from Juleka’s once again. “I didn’t want to tell you because…” Rose paused again.

Juleka wondered how many of these pauses it would take to kill her.

“I’m embarrassed and worried and confused,” Rose said slowly. “Sh- this person is one of my best friends and I don’t know what my feelings would do to our friendship.” Juleka’s head whirled. One of her best friends? Juleka went through every one of Rose’s friends. Ivan? No, he kinda scared her. Max? No, they weren’t that close. Kim? No, she thought he was too mean. The only dude that Juleka knew Rose was close to was Ali, but the whole thing was that it _wasn’t_ him. So who could Rose possibly be talking about?

“If he’s really your friend, he’ll understand your feelings. I doubt any boy could be upset that you liked him,” Juleka murmured.

“But what if they don’t?” Rose asked quietly, her eyes fixed on the floor. “What if they’re repulsed? What if they don’t want to talk to me anymore? I don’t think I could handle that.” Juleka stared at Rose, not because of her beauty as she normally did, but because she was startled to hear her thoughts spill out of the mouth of the love of her life.

The biggest reason Juleka never said anything about her feelings was that she didn’t think it would do much good since Rose would never feel the same way. But deep in the darkest corners of her mind, Juleka also feared rejection. Such an occurrence featured in Juleka’s nightmares. A misplaced word or hand and this sweet girl would twist away in disgust and horror, her eyes filled with betrayal, her hands tucked behind her, every part of her peeling away. The excuse for strength Juleka fostered was built upon this girl’s unfailing support and kindness. For that to be replaced with distrust, discomfort, disgust…Juleka was certain she would crumble. She’d already come too close to that.

Juleka wasn’t sure how she could help Rose with her fears when they were her own fears. How could Juleka talk about truth and communication when a part of her feared saying a word? How could she look Rose in the eyes, those beautiful eyes, and pretend that her heart wasn’t breaking, that she wasn’t terrified, that she wasn’t hiding same as she was?

Rose’s eyes flicked up to Juleka’s. They were so wide, so vulnerable. They were terrified. Rose was terrified. Terrified that her love would only bring her pain.

As Juleka stared into Rose’s panicked eyes, she felt something click inside her head.

This wasn’t about fear. It _shouldn’t_ be about fear. It wasn’t about fear for Juleka, it couldn’t be. But that didn’t matter now. What mattered was that her best friend was looking at her with terror clawing at her heart.

Rose’s eyes shone, tears collecting in the corners and sweeping across her eyelids. They rolled down her cheeks in large drops as Juleka placed her hands on Rose’s shoulders, firmly turning the girl to face her. She wiped away the tears with gentle fingers.

“You are the kindest person I have ever met,” Juleka said, holding on to Rose’s shoulders as if she could anchor them both. Rose’s eyes widened as she gazed up at her. “You are gentle and sweet and loving and you would never fall for someone without that same kindness. Surely you can find it in your heart to trust him with your feelings.” Juleka chuckled a little as she wiped away another tear. “After all, how could anyone turn away from you, Rose?”

The smile that found its way onto Rose’s face could have lit up all of Paris. Juleka couldn’t help but smile in return, even if her heart was falling to pieces.

“Whoever he is, he’s a lucky dude,” Juleka said, letting her hands fall away from Rose’s shoulders. “So, stop worrying and tell me more about this guy.” The smile left Rose’s face as quickly as it appeared, rearranging itself into a pout. Rose let out an annoyed huff.

“I wish you would stop assuming it’s a guy,” Rose muttered.

 

 

What?

 

 

_What?_

 

 

WHAT?

 

 

Rose’s eyes widened as she realized what she’d said. The red returned to her cheeks full force as her whole body tensed. Juleka, for once, didn’t marvel over her cuteness because she was a little busy having an existential crisis.

“You-” Juleka began, then stopped, trying desperately to digest Rose’s words. The annoyance in her voice, the implication of what she said, it all went against what Juleka believed to be true. “I thought you were straight,” Juleka said, her eyes locked on Rose’s face. She watched as a gulp moved down her throat, as her eyes somehow grew even bigger, as her mouth tightened. Juleka could practically _hear_ Rose’s mind scrambling.

“I did too,” Rose said, her voice squeaky again. She took a deep breath. “But straight girls don’t generally fall in love with other girls.” Rose’s eyes locked onto Juleka’s.

_What?_

“Do you want me to tell you about her?” Rose asked, swallowing again. Juleka somehow found it within herself to nod. She couldn’t tell if her heart was breaking in all new ways, or soaring. But any semblance of calm was gone and Rose was here and she was trying to reveal a part of herself she had never let out before and Juleka had to listen.

“This girl… Well, you already know that she’s one of my best friends,” Rose began. That opened up a whole new world. Alix who sat in front of them? Mylene across the aisle? Or- oh god- what if Rose was the hundredth person to fall for Marinette? Rose loved all things cute and who was cuter than Marinette?

Oh, yeah. This was heartbreak. Before, Rose _couldn’t_ like her because she didn’t like girls. But now, Rose just _didn’t_. Not because of a quirk in her sexuality, but because Juleka wasn’t what she wanted. Boy did that hurt, her stomach dropping low and heavy within her. Here was Rose, sweet Rose, still talking about her crush. Talking about a girl that would never be Juleka. But damn if Juleka was going to make her feel bad about her first girl crush. She stuffed her feelings in a corner with any and all sarcastic impulses and gave her full attention as Rose continued

“She’s really sweet,” Rose said slowly.

Yeah, that fit the Marinette theory. She was always helping others.

“Not a whole lot of people know her like I do.”

Yeah, Marinette could be pretty private sometimes.

“But once she lets you in, there is nothing she won’t do for you.”

Yeah, Marinette was an awesome friend.

“She always protects me and I kinda just wish I could do the same for her.”

Yeah, Marinette literally protected all of Paris. Did that mean that Rose knew Marinette’s Super Secret?

“She’s an amazing artist.”

Yeah, Marinette was always designing. Basically the only thing she and Juleka had in common.

“She’s a genius with a makeup brush.”

Did Marinette know how to do makeup?

“And she’s also, like, the cutest.”

Juleka sighed internally. She knew it. Marinette _was_ the cutest.

“Goodness her hair is so wonderful.”

Yeah, Marinette’s hair was especially cute. What teenager could pull off pigtails? Marinette, of course.

“I want to run my fingers through it all the time.”

Juleka could understand how that would be hard to do with Marinette’s hair in those pigtails all the time.

“So soft.”

Yeah, it was probably soft.

“And black.”

Yeah, it was black.

“And long.”

Yeah- well Marinette’s hair wasn’t really that long…

“And she has these beautifully angled eyes.”

Marinette’s eyes were kinda angled, but…

“They’re this gorgeous redish color.”

Marinette’s eyes were definitely not red.

“And she has these awesome purple highlights that just scream how amazing she is.”

Juleka’s eyes snapped up to Rose’s face and felt her heart contract at what she saw there. When had the roaring red in her cheeks faded to an adorable dusting of pink? When had her shy smile grown into a grin? When had her eyes gained that dreamy look, focused not on an image in her mind, but on the quiet girl in front of her? When had her fingers found the purple ends of Juleka's hair, winding themselves into the soft strands like they never wanted to leave? When had her expression melted from nervousness into love?

How?

Where?

_Why?_

Rose was speaking about her crush and looking at Juleka with her heart in her eyes and Juleka was made of nothing but questions she’d never been able to ask before.

“She is sweet and talented and cute and she isn’t just one of my best friends. She is the best friend I’ve ever had and…and I love her more than I’ve ever loved anybody or anything,” Rose said, her voice soft and steady.

Even with all of the facts laid out (who else could Rose be best friends with that had purple hair?), Juleka still could not bring herself to believe that this girl that she had been crushing on for just about forever could actually feel the same way. Because if she let herself believe that and was wrong…

Juleka didn’t know what that would do to her.

“Rose?” Juleka whispered, searching her face. What she read there sent her heart soaring against her better judgement.

“Juleka,” Rose said, her eyes shining once again. “Juleka, I’m in love with you.”

Every question, every doubt, every nightmare lurking beneath the surface was washed away with those words, happiness swelling through Juleka, filling every corner in a rush so intense that she felt a shudder roll up her spine.

_She loves me she loves me she loves me._

“I don’t know when it happened, or how, or why. I don’t know what this says about my sexuality. I just know that I love you,” Rose said. Her eyes roamed Juleka’s face. Perhaps she was searching for a response. Perhaps she was simply trying to memorize it. Juleka had certainly done that often enough. “I just know that I want to be more than friends with you, Juleka.”

It would probably be accurate to say that Rose had broken Juleka. In a way, she certainly had. Broken the certainty that Juleka’s feelings would always be one sided. Broken the denial she had fostered. Broken the pattern of thinking she had constructed to deal with her unrequited love. It was all smashed to pieces (quite happily) with _she loves me she loves me she loves me._

As such, she didn’t even have the machinery to process _she wants to be more than friends._

Rose gave her a few moments before she began to worry at the shock frozen on Juleka’s face.

“Juleka?” Rose asked tentatively, trying to hold back the panic beginning to edge its way into her voice. “Are you o-”

“I love you too!” Juleka burst out, finally managing to force out the words she’d locked so deep inside for so long, that she’d never expected to be able to say. Her cheeks stretched as the biggest grin she’d ever produced spread across her face. Rose giggled at the outburst, panic receding at the brightness taking over Juleka’s face, at the words just starting to process in her own mind.

“You do?” she asked, happiness widening her eyes, tugging at her smile. “But you’ve never expressed any interest in…well, anybody.”

“How could I when you were around?” Juleka said, feeling her face heat up as she ducked her head. She felt tentative fingers brush aside her bangs and she glanced up at Rose, marveling at the look in her eyes. “You’re like the sun.”

It was Rose’s turn to blush. It only deepened as she let her fingers brush through Juleka’s bangs and trail down her cheek. Her fingers were soft and gentle, but they left behind fireworks. Juleka hesitantly raised her hand to Rose’s, intertwining their fingers and trapping her smooth palm against her face. Her skin tingled where Rose’s touched. Blue eyes stared into redish ones and said things they’d never gotten to say. How long they stayed there, Juleka couldn’t say. But she knew that it wasn’t long enough. It would never be long enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Let's all take a moment to bask in the cuteness.


	13. Julerose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna be honest, this is just a bunch of fluff.

Rose’s hands finally slipped away from Juleka’s face when a knock sounded at the door. The two girls looked at each other with wide eyes, then back at the door.

“Come in,” Rose called, her voice a little higher than normal. The door opened and Mrs. Lavillant peaked her head in, her customary smile spread across her face.

“Dinner’s almost ready, girls,” she said. “Make sure you wash up.” She withdrew then, closing the door behind her. Juleka and Rose turned back to one another, their eyes still large. They’d been nervous around each other for a long time, but they were nervous for a different reason now.

“What do we tell them?” Rose asked, a note of panic creeping into her voice.

“Do we have to tell anyone?” Juleka asked, not panicking, but not really sure what to do either. She’d never entertained the possibility of Rose loving her back so she’d never considered what to do about it.

“You’re the lesbian shouldn’t you know the protocols?” Rose asked, her hands covering her cheeks. Juleka raised an eyebrow at her.

“I’m a lesbian who’s had a crush on one girl for three years and never talks to her parents,” Juleka said.

“Sorry,” Rose said, deflating a little. Juleka put her hands on Rose’s shoulders.

“Just breathe, Rose,” Juleka said, demonstrating with her own deep breath. Rose followed suit. “Right now, we go eat dinner. We can figure out who we tell and when later.” Rose nodded slowly.

“Okay,” Rose said, her voice more of a normal pitch. She took another deep breath. “Dinner now, decisions later.”

“Good, now let’s go wash our hands,” Juleka said, sliding off of the bed. She held her hand out to Rose, not really thinking about it. Rose looked at her hand, blushing. She slipped her own hand into it and then Juleka was blushing too.

_She loves me she loves me she loves me._

Juleka tugged Rose off the bed, releasing her hand reluctantly when her feet hit the ground. She led the way to the bathroom, trying really, really hard not to look at Rose. She wasn’t doing a fantastic job. Her gaze kept drifting back to Rose’s face, Rose’s little smile, Rose’s pink cheeks. Pretending that everything was normal was obviously going to be a little harder than Juleka had thought. Especially if neither of them could stop blushing.

“You can wash first,” Rose said, leaning against the doorway. Juleka only nodded, stripping off her gloves so that she could wash, focusing on the cool water sliding over her hands. It didn’t do much to calm her down because Rose was _right there_ and she’d said so many things and life was so very different than it had been a few hours ago. She now lived in a world where Rose loved her and cold water on her skin was not slowing down her heart. Juleka glanced over at Rose. The girl squeaked when their eyes met and looked away. Juleka smiled at the fresh blush spreading across her cheeks. It was cute, _Rose_ was cute, and they were definitely not going to survive dinner unless Juleka did something…

“Eeek!” Rose cried when the cold drops of water landed on her face. She looked up in surprise, her eyes widening as she took in Juleka’s fingers frozen post flick, the mischievous gleam in her gaze. Juleka only offered an innocent little smile in return for Rose’s glare (or the closest thing Rose had to a glare), returning the offending hand to the water stream. Rose stared at her suspiciously for a second more. Then she turned her gaze to her dress to take in the damage.

“Juleka!” Rose complained as more water pelted her skin. Juleka only smiled again as she winked at Rose. Rose glared back. “Juleka, you do that one more time and I’ll- eeek!” Cold water sprinkled her again as both of Juleka’s hands rose and flicked at her. Juleka actually chuckled this time, holding her dripping hands out in front of her. Then the chuckle abruptly cut off when cold water hit her face.

“Rose,” Juleka said in mock astonishment. Rose smiled at her sweetly.

“I told you I’d- oh, _stop_!” Rose cried as Juleka flicked water at her for the fourth time. Then it devolved into war, both girls flicking water at each other as fast as they could and giggling all the while.

“I’d say that you’re clean enough, girls,” Mr. Lavillant said from the doorway. Rose and Juleka turned quickly, their dripping hands dropping to their sides.

“Sorry, Papa,” Rose said in a cheerfully unapologetic voice. Juleka nodded.

“Dry off and come eat,” Mr. Lavillant said, shaking his head and chuckling as he walked off. “They were trying to drown each other, Sylvie,” Mr. Lavillant called in a deliberately loud voice. Rose and Juleka exchanged a glance, letting out one last laugh. Then Rose retrieved towels for them and they dried off. Rose bumped her shoulder into Juleka’s side, grinning up at the smile that spread across her face. Juleka booped Rose on the nose with her towel, watching as her nose scrunched up.

If they were red now, well it wasn’t all that suspicious.

The impromptu water fight had had its intended effect. They’d be able to get through dinner without blushing too many times. Ten at most.

 

Dinner with the Lavillants was a pleasant affair. Mrs. Lavillant made something tasty. Mr. Lavillant set the table. Everybody washed up and sat down together, saying a quick prayer before digging in.

Mr. Lavillant started the dinner conversation by sharing his day.

“Marc misplaced the sales figures _again_ , so we had to recalculate all of the numbers from scratch,” Mr. Lavillant said, throwing his hands up in the air. All of the Lavillants shook their heads in disapproval.

Then Mrs. Lavillant shared her day.

“The garden is starting to get just overrun with aphids,” Mrs. Lavillant said, heaving a long sigh even though she was somehow still smiling. “I need to see if I can get some ladybugs to take care of it. I really don’t like using pesticides.”

 _I’ll ask Marinette if she’s available_ , Juleka thought, a little smile spreading across her face.

Next was Rose and Juleka.

“We had a test in chemistry today and I just _know_ I failed it,” Rose said, her lips forming a pout.

“You didn’t fail it,” Juleka said. “You did great when we were studying.” Rose only groaned, slumping over her plate.

“That’s because it was you,” Rose said. She straightened a little, and though her head stayed down, Juleka could see the blush leaking into her cheeks. She knew it must match her own.

Luckily, Lucas was always quick to speak up about his day.

“I have a girlfriend,” Lucas announced proudly. Rose choked. Mr. Lavillant, Mrs. Lavillant, and Lucas all watched as Rose tried to clear her throat, hacking loudly as Juleka thumped her back. She finally caught her breath, taking a sip of water.

“Sorry,” Rose squeaked. She turned back to her little brother. “You were saying, Lucas? A- about your girlfriend?”

“Oh, yeah!” Lucas said, beaming. “Her name is Amelie and she’s really pretty.”

“How long have you been courting Miss Amelie?” Mr. Lavillant asked, a smile spreading across his face.

“We’ve liked each other for a while,” Lucas said, snagging another slice of cheese from the cheese platter.

“That’s wonderful, dear,” Mrs. Lavillant said, patting her son’s arm. “Are we going to get to meet her?”

“Do you mean I can have her over?” Lucas asked, bouncing in his seat.

“Of course,” Mr. Lavillant said, grinning at his wife. “I want to meet my future daughter-in-law.”

“When are you going to find a special someone, Rose?” Mrs. Lavillant said, turning her smile on her daughter. Juleka didn’t need to look to know that Rose was already bright red.

“I could use another son,” Mr. Lavillant said, also grinning.

“Hey, _I’m_ your son,” Lucas said with a pout. He turned to Rose. “No boys, Rose.”

Rose looked like she was about ready to combust.

“Can you pass the salt?” Juleka asked. At once, every single Lavillant looked away from Rose and reached for the salt. Rose reached too. Lucas, who prided himself on his passing abilities, reached it first and leaned across the table to give it to Juleka. “Thank you.” Juleka realized a moment too late that she didn’t really need salt for her lemon tart, but sprinkled some on anyway.

“We also started learning about space!” Lucas cried. Mr. and Mrs. Lavillant turned their attention back to their son and Rose let out a little sigh of relief.

“Did you now?” Mr. Lavillant asked. Juleka let out a little sigh too.

Once they were done sharing their days, they turned towards their plans for tomorrow.

Mr. Lavillant started them off.

“I’m leaving for work at seven. I’ll be back around five if Marc can get his stuff together,” he said, throwing his hands up. All of the Lavillants shook their heads in disapproval.

Then Mrs. Lavillant.

“I’ll be looking into the aphid problem. And Lucas, dear, don’t forget I’ll be picking you up early for that doctor’s appointment,” she said. Lucas heaved a long sigh even though he was somehow still smiling.

Next Rose and Juleka.

“I have scrapbooking club tomorrow after school,” Rose said excitedly. “We just got a new die-cut machine and we’re going to start learning how to use it!” Juleka smiled at her. Too cute.

“Will you be coming over, Juleka?” Mrs. Lavillant asked, smiling at her. Juleka shook her head.

“I have to work on a project for art,” she said.

Last was Lucas.

“We’re going to keep learning about space tomorrow,” Lucas said excitedly. “All those planets!” Juleka smiled at him. Too cute.

“And you’re going to see your girlfriend?” Mrs. Lavillant asked, smiling at him.

“Yeah, her too,” Lucas said.

It was the same every single night. Father then mother then sister then brother time after time. That was how it went in the Lavillant house. That was how it was. Juleka knew it as well as she knew her own heartbeat.

But this time, the entire time, all throughout the routine, a current ran under every single sentence, making it all different, making it all new, making the ordinary into something spectacular, something unbelievable. It hummed through Juleka’s head, a beautiful harmony to the evening’s melody.

_She loves me she loves me she loves me._

 

After dinner was over, the kids cleared the table and washed the dishes. Rose washed, Lucas dried, and Juleka put the dishes away since she was the only one tall enough to reach the highest cabinets.

“We’re going to go work on homework, Maman,” Rose said, already heading for that safe space so they could finally blush in private.

“Ah, ah, ah,” Mrs. Lavillant said, holding up her finger. “Have you forgotten?” Rose and Juleka exchanged a glance. Both of them were confused. And then it clicked.

“Game night,” Juleka said. Rose’s eyes widened.

“Yes, game night,” Mrs. Lavillant said. Mr. Lavillant came back to the kitchen table with a game box.

“Sorry, Mrs. Lavillant, Mr. Lavillant, I actually have to go,” Juleka said, backing towards the door. Rose turned to Juleka with big eyes.

“No, Juleka, you don’t have to leave,” Mrs. Lavillant said, her smile faltering a bit. “You’re always welcome, you know that.”

“I know,” Juleka said, clutching her hands behind her and letting her bangs fall to cover her face. “I actually have to get started on that art project now if I want to finish it in time.”

“Okay,” Mrs. Lavillant said. She sounded defeated. “We’ll see you later then, dear.” Light footsteps marched across the room and then Juleka was enveloped in Mrs. Lavillant’s arms. She returned the hug without hesitation. It’d only taken her three years to be able to do so.

Mrs. Lavillant released her, but kept her in place with hands on her arms. She bent to catch Juleka’s downcast eyes. She held them for a moment, her normal smile returning to its place. Then she let her go, returning each to their places.

Rose followed Juleka to her room where she picked up her bag. Juleka could feel Rose’s sad eyes on her back.

“You really don’t have to go,” Rose said quietly.

“I know,” Juleka sighed. Rose sighed too, but smiled up at Juleka anyways. She knew better by now than to push this.

“I’ll walk you out,” Rose said, preceding Juleka out of the room. They passed through the living room, catching a glimpse of Lucas trying to persuade Mr. Lavillant that they should play a different game.

The front door creaked as Rose and Juleka stepped out into the cool night air. The breeze brushed against Juleka’s face, not stiff enough to be called wind, but getting close. The porch light flickered a little, but it was steady enough for Juleka to see Rose shiver. She tentatively wrapped an arm around the smaller girl’s shoulders, sliding her hand into place slowly, unsure around her friend for the first time in a long time. Rose tensed for only a second before she melted into Juleka’s side. She felt a small hand clutch her shirt. Warmth blossomed in Juleka’s stomach, followed soon after by warmth in her cheeks.

“H- hey, Juleka?” Rose asked quietly. Juleka just hummed in response, still trying to find a way to believe that this was real. “D-do you…um, I mean y-you n-never…” Juleka looked down at Rose’s stuttering, meeting wide, almost panicked eyes.

“Rose?” Juleka asked, feeling the quick rise and fall of Rose’s chest against her side. She felt her suck in a deep breath, letting it out slowly, tightening her grip on Juleka’s shirt.

“Doyouwannabemygirlfriend?” Rose asked in a rush. It was a good thing that she was holding Juleka’s shirt because otherwise, Juleka likely would have floated away.

 

_She loves me she loves me she loves me._

“Yes,” Juleka breathed. Rose’s hand loosened its hold on her shirt as she breathed out too and matching smiles spread across their faces like the twin blushes that lived there already, like their two heartbeats both racing a little too fast. “I’d love that. Like, a lot.” Rose giggled and Juleka grinned and they looked at each other, looked away, and looked at each other again, some weird kind of gravity pulling their gaze together again and again.

“Do you know how long I’ve dreamed of saying that?” Rose giggled.

“We’re a mess,” Juleka said, shaking her head. Rose beamed and it took her breath away same as always.

“But now I’m _your_ mess,” Rose said. Juleka was pretty sure her heart just gave up and stopped, but she somehow found a way to keep smiling back at her.

Juleka wondered how long the word “mine” would continue to echo around her skull.

“Your family’s probably waiting for you,” Juleka said quietly. Rose nodded, the movement brushing soft hair against her arm. “Your parents will probably come looking for you.” Rose nodded again, still looking up at Juleka with those big blue eyes. Suddenly she turned into Juleka, wrapping her arms around her middle and hugging her tight. Once Juleka blinked away her surprise, she wrapped her other arm around Rose, hugging her back, resting her chin on her head. She closed her eyes, just taking in the feel of Rose in her arms.

It was wonderful, just holding her. Juleka wrapped herself around her and just focused on the warmth leaking into her, growing out of her, taking her over. She wondered at the strands of hair tickling her chin, each finger splayed across her back, the feel of a cheek warming through the fabric covering her chest. Holding Rose felt like…like holding a heartbeat. She felt so alive, so warm in Juleka’s arms.

Somehow, it still didn’t seem real.

_She loves me she loves me she loves me._

“I love you,” Rose murmured into Juleka’s chest. Juleka felt a warmth begin in the center of her lips and spread out across her face as the smile spread. She shifted in Rose’s embrace. Rose loosened her arms to allow her to step away, but Juleka just held her tight as she bent so that her chin rested on Rose’s shoulder. After a moment, Rose tightened her hold on Juleka again and Juleka felt Rose’s smile against her neck.

“I love you too, Rose,” Juleka whispered into Rose’s ear. She felt the smile widen on Rose’s face. Juleka stayed there for a moment longer, then loosened her hold, slowly, reluctantly, pulling away from Rose like they were stuck together with molasses. Before Juleka could find the motivation to straighten all the way, Rose’s head turned, quick as you please, and she pressed a kiss to Juleka’s cheek.

Juleka froze. Her whole body was tingling even though the only parts of her Rose was touching were her ribs and her cheek. Rose's lips were soft, as soft as they looked, as soft as Juleka had always imagined. Juleka had always wondered. She wondered now if Rose had paralyzed her with her wonderful lips and if she would just stay frozen on her front porch forever. She wouldn’t mind.

Rose moved away after a brief moment that simultaneously felt like forever and a nanosecond. Juleka was sad to discover that she could still move. She straightened, looking down with wonder at her best- at her _girl_ friend. She was less sad as she saw the stars shining out of Rose’s eyes, the pink pooling in her cheeks, the smile pulling at her lips.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Rose asked quietly. Juleka nodded slowly, felt the grin leak onto her face.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Juleka said. Somehow, she found the strength to turn and walk away. It didn’t last long. She turned and looked over her shoulder to see Rose still standing there, her arms folded against the chill in the air. Rose lifted one hand and waved. Juleka waved back. She turned away and continued walking.

_She loves me she loves me she loves me._

The night air brought out goosebumps on Juleka’s arms and she was glad because that made it feel real. Somewhere crickets were chirping and a car horn honked and two, no three dogs were barking.

Her mind was empty except for those three words, over and over, just real enough to drown everything out, but not real enough to lean on and grow around and take into her heart for safekeeping.

_She loves me she loves me she loves me._

When Juleka reached her apartment building, she stared up at it for a moment, her eyes automatically picking out her bedroom window from amongst the rows of windows just like it. She had looked out of that window hundreds of times before. She had stood on this corner before, heard these sounds, seen these buildings and those flowers and that dog peeing on that doorstep. She’d seen it all and heard it all and perhaps she hadn’t always liked it, being here, but it had always been familiar.

It all seemed different somehow, in the brand-new light Rose had cast on her life. Like she’d only ever seen it at night and now the sun was rising.

Juleka stared up at her window, remembering the things she’d seen and felt sitting there. She remembered impatiently watching for Rose, nervous and unsure. She remembered the sight of Rose turning the corner onto her block, the smile on her face visible even from her window. She remembered how her chest had tightened…

Juleka remembered how her chest had tightened watching her parents walk away again and again and again and…she remembered the first time she didn’t bother watching. But she didn’t remember when the apartment stopped feeling like home. She didn’t know if it ever had.

Juleka allowed those thoughts to ground her as she crossed the street and slipped into her building. She allowed the way the rough wood of the door caught at her glove to bring her back down to earth. She allowed the dim light of the stairwell to block out the new light in her life for just a moment.

But Rose still filled her head and colored her world and sent her flying. Her eyes, her lips, her smile, her hands intertwined with hers, her fingers brushing her cheek. Rose loved her. Rose was hers. Juleka hadn’t even dared to dream about such things for years and now it was all happening and it was too much and not enough and what had been simple before was a mass of inconsistencies; Juleka’s head was a whirlwind of contradictions. She knew she needed to reconstruct her brain, but she couldn’t when there was only Rose.

_She loves me she loves me she loves me._

Juleka listened to her tennis shoes thudding against old carpet, but still heard echoes of a giggle.

Juleka lingered on the sensation of her key sliding into the lock of her front door and the way the mechanism clicked into place as she turned it, but still felt hesitant fingers sliding into place amongst her own.

Juleka gazed up at the walls of her bedroom, taking in years of doodles and notes, hours of painstaking recreation, but still saw Rose’s face peering up at her, a blush spreading across her cheeks.

Juleka lurched forward from where she leaned against her bedroom door. She stripped off her gloves, depositing them on her desk before rummaging around for a fresh piece of chalk. She found one hiding in the back of a drawer along with a well-used rag. She glanced around at her walls again, trying to find a place to think. There were little patches that hadn’t been used yet, but this wasn’t a little patch kind of moment. Juleka stared up at the walls, deliberating, wondering, deciding…

It was a strange feeling wiping away a huge swath of the wall. It had taken so long to create, ideas and thoughts coming together piece by piece and clinging to reality in the form of white powder against black walls. It was the closest thing Juleka had to a diary. It was a part of her. And she wiped it away in a matter of moments, precise lines turning into white smears turning into fuzzy afterimages. From floor to ceiling, Juleka cleared a space, relentlessly scrubbing away at the markings to remove as much as possible.

Then, she placed her fresh piece of chalk to the wall and began to draw something new.

Rose had always been there in the back of Juleka’s mind, ever since they met. How could it be otherwise when this girl had blazed her way into her life and changed everything? Juleka was still used to being in the background, but before Rose, she’d never been seen. She’d spent her life being quiet and still and watching and wondering, but never being seen. And Rose, this incredibly kind soul, had _looked_ at her. Not only that, but she’d continued to do so day after day after day. That experience, that girl, had been utterly new to Juleka. How could she help but fall in love? How could she keep her mind from revolving around the first sun she’d met?

No, this wasn’t the first time Rose had invaded her every thought. Juleka had spent years building up a structure in her brain. She couldn’t have stopped loving Rose. She hadn’t even wanted to. But the way she'd loved her back then, with a burning, aching need, would only have hurt them both. With Rose out of reach, it would have only consumed her. So, she'd built her mind to think in such a way that it wouldn’t destroy her. Juleka had still loved Rose with a ferocity that sometimes surprised even her, but it had no longer burned or consumed or needed. It simply was. Juleka hadn’t allow herself to dream. She'd rarely allowed herself to wish. She'd told herself again and again that Rose was an impossibility for her and in time she'd even believed it.

But now…

Now Juleka’s patterns of thinking, constructed upon the premise of an impossibility, had been torn down. Rose was consuming her and while she found it hard to care, she needed to recalibrate for a world in which Rose was not only a possibility, but a reality.

 _It doesn’t matter_ , whispered the racing of her heart, still beating too quickly in a chest that was too tight.

 _It doesn’t matter_ , whispered the goosebumps on her arms, reacting to a touch that had long since slipped away.

 _It doesn’t matter_ , whispered the section of her brain that had put Rose’s words on repeat _I love you I love you I love you I love-_

 _ **It matters**_ , insisted the section of her brain that somehow still thought rationally, the part that deliberated and wondered and decided.

It terrified her and delighted her and overwhelmed her and her brain was _still_ trying to tell her that it was impossible even though she couldn’t stop thinking about how wonderfully possible it was and a huge part of her kept saying that it didn’t matter that this happiness was consuming her like a flame consumes a match, but the part that decided knew that it did.

And so Juleka knelt before the space she’d created on her wall and in her brain and began to fill it in with something that didn’t burn or consume or need, but simply was.

 

It could have been minutes later. It could have been hours. All Juleka knew was that when she stepped away from the stretch of her wall that was no longer empty, the nub of chalk falling from her fingertips, she could think in straight lines again. She collapsed onto her bed, sparing one last glance and one last thought before she drifted off to sleep.

Her eyes slid shut, but the image of the large chalk rose unfurling on her wall followed her into her dreams.

_She loves me she loves me she loves me._

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Juleka’s eyes slid open, taking in the pale sunlight dripping through her window and painting her room with morning. It was early. Much earlier than she usually woke. Yet, her body was held in the kind of sleepy paralysis that only followed long, deep sleep, contentment weighing heavily on her limbs. She must have gone to bed early last night.

_She loves me she loves me she loves me._

Juleka’s first coherent thought of the day flooded her mind along with memories of the events of the previous night. A strange soaring feeling filled Juleka’s chest as she remembered, causing her to stretch and shift to accommodate this new feeling.

It was in the process of stretching that Juleka realized that she was still wearing yesterday’s clothes. She hadn’t even taken off her shoes. Juleka chuckled to herself, _at_ herself, and finally rose, slipping off of the bed and into full consciousness. Her eyes lingered on the super obvious rose that she’d drawn the night before, before moving on to her window and looking down at the street below. The neighborhood was completely still in the pale light of the rising sun. Nothing moved. It felt like nothing breathed as the sun crawled up past the skyline. It was early indeed.

Juleka turned back to her room, putting her mind in order for the day to come. She needed to grab a shower, find her phone and make sure it got at least _some_ charge, grab some breakfast. There hadn’t been any homework last night, so she didn’t need to worry about that. When Juleka started moving, she did so without hurry, the contented sleepiness still lingering in her muscles. She had plenty of time. Maybe she’d even make herself a real breakfast today rather than just grabbing some coffee.

Juleka plugged in her phone. She took her shower. She found herself humming as she brushed her hair. She caught herself deliberating over her closet for too long before selecting what she always wore. She watched the sunrise. She made too much for breakfast. She smiled to herself the entire time because she had a girlfriend and she was going to see her as soon as she got to school.

Juleka was in the kitchen, waiting for the baguette to finish toasting, when she heard her phone buzz against the counter where it was charging. She snagged her coffee and walked over to it, unlocking it without checking to see who’d texted.

 **Rose:** _Good morning! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3_

A smile spread across Juleka’s face as she read Rose’s text. She stared down at it, a warmth blooming in her stomach that had little to do with her coffee.

 **Juleka:** _Morning, Rose <3_

Juleka was settling in to wait for Rose's reply when she was startled by a knock at her front door.

She stared at it. Juleka set her phone down, wandered over to stand in front of it. She didn’t move to open it. She just stared.

This had never really happened before, people coming to her apartment without her asking people to come the apartment. She didn’t really know what to _do_ about it.

Whoever was standing on the other side of the door knocked again, dissolving Juleka’s hope that they’d just go away. The knock was light, almost hesitant, but it still jolted Juleka enough to make her grasp the doorknob and turn. She froze as her eyes fell on the person waiting outside.

Standing there, at Juleka’s front door, was Rose. A shy smile was stretched across her face and she held a small box in her hands. Juleka was so surprised that she could only stare for a moment, not truly comprehending that her best- no, her _girlfriend_ was standing at her door.

“Hi,” Rose said, nervousness lacing her voice. One hand freed itself from the box to offer a little wave. Juleka finally unfroze, her hand rising to return the wave.

“Hi,” Juleka said, still staring, but not quite sure how to stop. Rose shifted her weight, her eyes darting down, then back up to Juleka’s face.

“I brought croissants,” Rose blurted, her hands suddenly thrusting out the box. Juleka glanced down, registering the scent of fresh baked bread rising from the box, then back up at Rose, her presence finally sinking in. Rose was here. Rose had brought her breakfast. Rose was quickly dissolving into a nervous mess as she waited for Juleka to say something.

“You brought me breakfast?” Juleka asked at last, her voice almost reverent as the smile spread across her face. Rose beamed back.

“Y-yeah. I just woke up really early this morning and I wanted to see you so I thought it would be nice if we could eat breakfast so I got some croissants and came here but then I didn’t know if you’d be awake so I texted you and you texted back and so I knocked and now here we are and you know the rest so I’ll stop talking now,” Rose babbled at full speed, her face growing redder and redder as she spoke and Juleka’s smile growing wider and wider.

“Do you want to come in?” Juleka asked, chuckling. She stepped aside when Rose nodded. Juleka followed her as she moved into the apartment and saw her eyes widen as she took in the food Juleka had already put on the kitchen table.

“Don’t you normally just drink coffee in the mornings?” Rose asked, gaping at the unnecessarily large spread. Because the fact of the matter was that it was unnecessary. There was a bunch of sliced fruit (Juleka had forgotten to stop cutting), an over large omelet (she had accidentally cracked a few extra eggs), butter and jam (for the bread currently toasting), and two different kinds of yogurt (she simply couldn’t choose). Juleka shrugged as she moved to remove the thoroughly toasted baguette from the oven.

“A lot of things sounded good this morning, so I just…” Juleka gestured to the table with the baguette.

“Then it’s a good thing I showed up to help you eat it all,” Rose said, one hand rising to cover her giggles. Juleka allowed herself a moment to bask in the sound. The warm bread in her hand quickly reminded her that she couldn’t spend all morning staring at her girlfriend (her _girlfriend_ ), even though that was kind of all she wanted.

Juleka placed the baguette on the table and grabbed an extra plate before solemnly pulling Rose’s chair out for her. Rose’s hand fell, leaving a warm smile on her face that she struggled to control. She set her bag down by the door, the croissants next to the baguette, and herself in the chair, trying to maintain an air of seriousness. Juleka took her own seat, turning very grave eyes to Rose’s face. They were able to keep up with the air of serious dignity for a whole three seconds before they dissolved into giggles.

Juleka watched the girl that sat across from her as she ate. That was normal; Juleka could never help but watch Rose. But Rose was in her apartment and she had brought her breakfast and she was her _girlfriend_ and none of those things were normal at all. For once, Juleka didn’t really mind being in her apartment. Sure there was still a giant warrior statue staring at them while they ate, but Rose was there too and she was blushing as she spread jam on her baguette and she was giggling as she took a bite of omelet and the light was glinting off her hair as she poured herself a cup of coffee. The apartment didn’t seem so bad when Rose was there.

“You’re staring. Did you know that?” Rose asked.

“I generally am,” Juleka said, her unrelenting smile growing even as her cheeks warmed. She wondered how Rose’s face managed to get even brighter.

“How do you do that?” Juleka asked, her croissant hanging forgotten from her fingers.

“Do what?” Rose asked, her head tilting as she reached for some more grapes.

“That glowy thing,” Juleka said. Rose’s eyes widened, her blush returning, but not replacing the light that somehow shone from her.

“How do _you_ always manage to sound cool even when you’re making up words?” Rose giggled.

“You think I sound cool?” Juleka asked, hiding her red face behind her coffee cup. Rose peeked up at her through long lashes, her blush in full view.

“Well, yeah,” Rose said, fiddling with a grape. “I think all of you is cool.” Juleka felt the smile twitching at her lips and she looked down into her cup. Rose thought she was _cool_.

Juleka glanced back up through her bangs when she heard Rose sigh. The girl had her chin in her hand and was smiling at Juleka with that warm little smile, her gaze resting on Juleka’s face like she was looking at something… something _wonderful_. Juleka wondered if Rose’s chest felt anything like hers did in that moment. She wondered if she also felt the warmth spreading, expanding within her ribcage like a balloon, pressing up against her lungs and cradling her heart. Juleka wondered if that warm smile was an echo of how her stomach felt, like freshly brewed tea was replacing her vital organs.

“Hey, Rose?” Juleka asked.

“Yes?” Rose asked in return, her face still kind of dreamy as she looked at her.

“I love you,” Juleka said. Rose’s smile widened to a grin.

“I love you too,” Rose said. She glanced down at her cup before looking back up at Juleka, her cheeks going red again. “ _Mon amour_.”

If the fluttering of Juleka’s heart was anything to go by, Rose was almost certainly going to be the death of her.

Juleka didn’t really mind.

Then her alarm went off and she  _did_ mind that.

“We should start cleaning up,” Juleka sighed. “We need to go soon.” Rose’s face shifted into a pout.

“You’re right,” Rose said. She let out an annoyed huff. “Why are you always right?” Rose followed up her question with a bright smile, rising out of her chair and starting to collect plates. Juleka chuckled as she began to put away the bounty of excess food.

“I’m not always right,” Juleka said. Rose put the dishes in the sink and turned to Juleka with her fists on her hips.

“Yes, you are,” Rose insisted. “You’re like…like…Yoda or something.” Juleka chuckled again, reaching around Rose to turn on the water.

“I’m Yoda?” Juleka asked with an amused smile.

“Okay, maybe not _Yoda_ ,” Rose said, gently moving Juleka aside so that she could dry the plates she washed. “But you’re right a _lot_.” Juleka just shook her head and continued to wash and rinse, the two girls falling into an easy rhythm. Wash, rinse, dry. Between the two of them, the kitchen was clean in short order and they were out the door in minutes.

The sun had risen high up in the sky and now shone down on a lovely Paris morning. There was just enough of a breeze to take the edge off of the heat, but not make it cold. The streets had come to life and now cars hurtled past and people went about their business. Paris was awake now and it was moving and it was breathing, but Juleka didn’t take it all in as she normally did on her way to school. She didn’t listen to birds chirping or horns honking or the two (or was it three?) dogs barking. She didn’t appreciate the buildings or the flowers or the dog that always begged for scraps on that corner. After all, why would Juleka appreciate all of Paris when she could appreciate Rose?

“Just look at these texts,” Rose said, her blush somehow finding a way to strengthen yet again as she brandished screenshots at Juleka. She made a cursory attempt to read the texts, but Rose was moving the phone too much, so she settled for watching Rose as they walked. “I just about died. I thought I was completely transparent.”

“Okay, I don’t know how I missed it with these texts, but transparent?” Juleka said. She scoffed as they slowed to wait for the light to change. “You spent all of your time gushing about heterosexual romances.” Rose giggled, one hand flying up to cover her mouth. The giggle receded and Rose looked up at Juleka with big eyes.

“Well, I’ve never been attracted to any girl but you,” Rose said quietly. Juleka’s heart fluttered and she was certain that all of this wasn’t good for the organ. She didn’t really care.

“Does that make me bisexual? Being attracted to one girl?” Rose asked, her eyebrows slightly furrowed.

“I don’t know,” Juleka said, turning her eyes forward as the light changed and they started across the street. “I think it mostly depends on how _you_ want to identify. Like, you’re the one who knows how you feel. If you think you’re bisexual, then you are.” Rose nodded a little, her eyes floating away as she thought about it. Juleka watched her. Pink lingered in her cheeks as it had since she had arrived that morning. She chewed on the corner of her lips as she thought. She blinked slowly, almost like she was sleepy, but she always looked like this when she thought. It was too cute really. So cute it wasn’t…

“You’re so cute it isn’t fair,” Juleka burst out. Rose’s eyes darted to her face, widening. The blush deepened. “Just realized I could tell you,” Juleka said more quietly. She ducked her head as her own cheeks warmed. Now they were _both_ blushing like idiots. Again.

“You’re cute too,” Rose said. Juleka glanced up through her bangs to see Rose smiling at her. Rose giggled and Juleka smiled back. “You know, one of the reasons I liked it when you painted my nails was because I could watch you while you did it,” Rose said in a rush. Juleka felt her eyes widen and Rose’s widened in return. She looked down at her hands. “You always looked so pretty when you were concentrating and I just…I liked to watch.” Juleka just looked at the embarrassed girl for a moment. Then she burst out laughing. Rose looked up, startled.

“I-I always offered b-because- oh my god- because I wanted to hold your hand,” Juleka managed when she finally reigned in her laughter long enough to explain. Then Rose started laughing too.

“My goodness, Juleka,” Rose said, still giggling. “We’re such a mess.”

“Yeah,” Juleka said, nodding. Their laughter finally faded, leaving them staring at each other. Juleka’s heart fluttered for the hundredth time as she looked into Rose’s eyes. “If I wanted to hold your hand, I should have just asked.”

Rose just looked at her a moment, then nodded silently. She reached out hesitantly and took one of Juleka’s hands, delicate fingers working their way in amongst longer ones, settling against fabric, warmth leaking through to gather in Juleka’s palm.

Juleka had held Rose’s hand before. But this…somehow this was different. There was no one screaming, nothing attacking; those fingers weren’t clutching at her in fear; Juleka’s chest wasn’t tight with worry; neither palm was sweaty; there was no purpose, no plan, no foreseeable end, just two sets of fingers woven together like they were made to be that way.

Juleka peeked up at Rose and almost couldn’t believe the way her eyes were lit up with unadulterated joy. Juleka wanted to find a way to bottle it up and keep it for a dark day. Juleka almost couldn’t believe…

But it _was_ real. Rose’s fingers moved against Juleka’s, exploring her hand the same way she explored hers. There were her tendons, that little patch of scars from that one time with the roses and the thorns, her pulse rushing past her wrist to give life to those fingers, was it rushing a little too fast?

They were walking down the street, hand in hand, and somehow it was magical.

Juleka couldn’t have said what they walked past. She didn’t know what streets they turned down. It was frankly a miracle that they eventually ended up at school. Her entire brain was Rose’s hand and the blush on Rose’s face and the smile on Rose’s lips. Juleka didn’t think as she followed her across crosswalks. Didn’t think as she followed her up flights of stairs. She didn’t even think as she followed her down a hallway.

Juleka only began thinking again when Rose led her into the classroom.

She was dragged back to reality by the staring eyes.

She registered the stunned silence.

Most of the class had paused and was staring at them where they stood at the front of the classroom, their hands still wound together.

Juleka ducked her head almost instinctively, her bangs forming a shield against the stares of their classmates. She felt her face heat up as she focused on Rose’s hand. She could feel tension rolling off of her and knew that she was blushing too. The silence held them in place for a long moment. Juleka felt panic mode begin to set in.

They had never gotten around to discussing who they wanted to tell about their relationship and how and when and if Juleka had never considered how _Rose_ would react to their relationship, she’d certainly never considered how everyone else would react. It was a little too late for that now because everyone was staring and Juleka didn’t know what to do, she didn’t know what they were thinking, she didn’t-

“Finally!” Alix cried, jumping up from her seat with a pump of her fist. Her exclamation startled Juleka and broke the spell and almost everyone started laughing. Juleka looked around at the gathered students, a little bemused but also relieved, the panic receding bit by bit. She looked down at Rose who only looked back at her with a confused expression of her own.

“Oh my god, please tell me you guys are together now,” Alya said, leaning forward on her desk with a friendly grin. Juleka stared at her for a moment. She looked around at the expectant faces of her classmates. Chloe and Sabrina were ignoring them, which wasn’t a surprise. But Alya and Marinette were seated side by side with similar grins. Alix had her arms folded and was looking much too smug. Mylene was almost bouncing with excitement. Max and Kim were exchanging a look. Nathanaël was seated at the back with a small smile on his face. He nodded at her encouragingly when he caught her eye. Absolutely no one seemed shocked or even surprised and certainly not ready to get pitchforks.

“Are you guys really dating?” Mylene asked, her smile stretching wide. Rose nodded quickly, her face growing redder by the second. Their classmates erupted into cheers. Juleka squeezed Rose’s hand and Rose shot her a shy smile.

“Congrats guys,” Marinette said, her chin resting on one hand as she beamed at them.

“I freaking told you, man,” Alix said, turning her smirk on Kim as the cheers died down. “Pay up.”

“Wait a minute, pipsqueak,” Kim said, glowering down at Alix with his arms crossed over his broad chest. “All we know is that they’re dating.”

“Did you guys bet on whether or not we’d get together?” Juleka asked.

“Of course,” Alix said, shooting a glare at Kim.

“No, we bet on which one of you would make the first move,” Kim said, glaring right back at Alix. Rose shot an incredulous look at Juleka.

Everyone had known. They’d known that they liked each other. _Three years_ of some truly angsty shenanigans and these guys had known? How…

“We’re idiots,” Rose said, hiding a giggle behind one hand.

“Yeah, if _Kim_ figured this out before we did,” Juleka said, shaking her head. Kim broke from his argument with Alix to shoot a spare glare at Juleka.

“Well?” Kim demanded. Rose shifted next to Juleka, clutching her hand a little tighter.

“Well what?” Rose asked, her voice high and nervous as she exchanged another look with Juleka.

“Which one of you did it?” Alix asked, crossing her arms so that she mirrored Kim.

“Which one of you did what?” Adrien asked. Juleka turned to see Adrien walking in with Nino. She heard a dreamy sigh come from Marinette’s general direction.

“Which one of you made the first move?” Alix asked impatiently. Juleka saw Adrien’s eyes dart down to where her hand held Rose’s, saw something click in his brain.

“You guys are dating?” Adrien asked, his eyes widening as the grin split across his face. Juleka nodded slightly, wishing that her bangs could completely hide her red face.

“Yeah, yeah, they’re dating, but which one of you got up the balls to make it happen?” Kim asked, huffing his annoyance. Alix elbowed him in the ribs.

“Don’t be a jerk, Kim,” Alix said before turning back to Rose and Juleka with an expectant stare. Rose and Juleka looked at each other. Rose tilted her head and Juleka raised an eyebrow.

“I-it was kind of both of us, um…” Rose started, but voices immediately began to weigh in on all sides.

“Oh, come on,” Alix protested.

“Not an answer,” Kim said at the same time.

“Leave them alone,” Marinette said, her eyebrows drawing together as she frowned at Alix and Kim.

“They’re together. That’s all that matters, right?” Adrien said as he took a seat at his table.

“What? It’s a simple yet vital question to prove this idiot wrong,” Alix said, using her glare on Marinette and Adrien. “A good cause.”

“Um, maybe you guys should just…” Nathanaël said quietly from the back of the room, valiantly overcoming his nervousness to try and help his friends.

Juleka sighed as the entire class began to argue about her new relationship. She didn’t really care about their squabbling. She just wanted to get to her seat so that she could focus on Rose again. It was hard (not impossible, just difficult) to do so with everyone in the room bickering over them.

Well, almost everyone.

Juleka’s gaze fell on the unusually quiet individuals seated sullenly in the first row. For once, Chloe (and by extension, Sabrina) did not weigh in on the chaos or make a bid for attention. The girl was glumly examining her fingernails, her jaw tight as if she was holding back what she wanted to say. Chloe’s eyes darted up, landing on Rose for a brief moment. Juleka tensed when Chloe opened her mouth, her sneer implicating that she was going to say something after all. However, her mouth snapped shut when her eyes flicked up to Juleka. Chloe glared at her, then turned away in a failed attempt to look indifferent.

Juleka wondered for a split second what Chloe would have said if some other girl had come in holding Rose’s hand.

Juleka’s attention was diverted from _that_ awful thought when she felt Rose’s hand tighten around hers. She looked down to see Rose’s free hand fluttering up in nervous distress, her eyes bouncing from person to person as she tried, and failed, to find a way to dissipate the situation. Juleka sighed again, shaking her head.

“Rose,” Juleka said, just loudly enough to cut through the conversation. The room went silent for a beat as everyone turned to look at her. “Rose made the first move.” Juleka looked down at the girl in question. Rose was wearing a faintly stunned expression, but it soon melted away into a warm smile. She tilted her head, her wide eyes screwing shut as she smiled up at her. Juleka felt an answering smile, as well as a blush, inch across her face in return.

“How are they so cute?” Alya demanded. Juleka wondered how they could _possibly_ get more red, but they managed to find a new shade to turn.

“You owe me, meathead,” Alix said, turning to Kim with a triumphant grin and an outstretched hand.

“Rose said it was both of them,” Kim grumbled.

“Don’t be a little punk. I win,” Alix said, still grinning at Kim. “Right, Max?” Both Alix and Kim turned to Max.

“Rose’s answer was deemed to be insufficient by all parties,” Max said, pushing up his glasses as he glanced between the two intense teens looking to him for judgement. “Juleka’s answer was more definitive and was accepted by the majority. Alix wins the bet.” Alix let out a whoop, pumping her fist for the second time that morning.

“Aw, come on, man,” Kim said, his shoulders slumping. “You couldn’t have been on my side this time?”

“Rules are rules,” Max said dispassionately. Kim took out his wallet and grudgingly passed a bill to Alix who slipped it into her pocket with a smirk.

“Are you done betting on our relationship now?” Juleka grumbled. Rose giggled and started to pull Juleka up the stairs, finally leading them out of the spotlight.

“For now,” Alix said, grinning at them as they passed. Juleka sighed. “But for real, dudes. Congrats.” Juleka glanced back at Alix to see a slight smile pulling at the corner of her mouth. She shot a nod back before sitting down next to Rose. Rose looked up at her with big eyes, a big smile, and cheeks that were decidedly red and would probably stay that way for a while.

Class started soon after they sat down, Ms. Bustier starting the first class of the day with some announcements. After that the rest of the day more or less proceeded as normal. At least, Juleka assumed it was normal. She couldn’t have said what happened in any of her classes. However, by the time the last bell rang, Juleka was just about ready for the test on what it was to hold Rose’s hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Adrien causes some alarm.


	14. Turn About

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juleka gets to see Adrien's room.

“Hermione or Katniss?” Rose asked. Juleka groaned, dropping her head down to hide her pink cheeks against Rose’s shoulder.

“Shouldn’t we be working on the project?” Juleka asked, fighting to keep a whine out of her voice as she gestured to the beginnings of their French project on the floor in front of them.

“Come on, Juleka,” Rose said, giggling. Juleka lifted her head to glare at her and immediately regretted her tactical mistake. Rose was hitting her with that _look_. That pretty-please-cherries-on-top look that Juleka couldn’t say no to. “We’ve gotten far enough on the project for today and you’ve listened to me talk about boys for years. I haven’t gotten to listen to you talk about girls.”

“That’s because the only girl I wanted to talk about was you,” Juleka muttered, looking away from Rose’s puppy dog eyes. She knew she was already beaten, but she could at least pretend she had the willpower to resist.

“Juleka,” Rose said softly, a hint of a giggle still hiding in her voice. “Please?” Juleka sighed, returning her gaze to her girlfriend’s face, resignedly taking in her playful smile and her dancing eyes. She sighed once more for good measure.

“Hermione,” Juleka said. Rose squealed a little, her hands flying up to cover her cheeks. Juleka shook her head, but couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips.

“I knew it!” Rose cried, her eyes shining. “You guys would be so cute together. You could have library dates.” Juleka’s smile widened.

“Be still my Ravenclaw heart,” Juleka said in the flattest tone of voice she could muster with Rose giggling next to her.

“I guess my little Hufflepuff self doesn’t stand a chance,” Rose said, grinning.

“No, if you were a choice I’d choose you,” Juleka said.

“You’d give up library dates for me?” Rose asked, her smile widening.

“Who says I have to give them up?” Juleka asked. She bumped her shoulder against Rose’s. “We can have library dates.”

“Yeah?” Rose asked, her voice a little too soft to be playful now. Juleka nodded slowly.

“Or we can have other dates,” Juleka said. She risked a glance up and saw Rose’s hands curled under her chin, her eyes bright, her cheeks edging past pink and closer to red. Juleka was well aware that Rose’s blush was mirrored by her own.

“Harry Potter dates?” Rose asked, grinning up at her almost shyly, as if Juleka could give her any answer but yes.

“Sure,” Juleka said, smiling back. Buzzes rattled against her ribs, two in quick succession, and Juleka reluctantly looked away from Rose to check her phone. She was tempted to ignore it, but the few people who texted Juleka did so rarely, so it was probably something important. Juleka was surprised at first to see Adrien’s name on her lock screen. Then her smile slid away when she read his text.

 **Adrien:** _Can you meet me at my house?_  
 **Adrien:** _Like, now?_

Juleka’s heart rate immediately sped up. She took a deep breath, trying to remind herself that Adrien hadn’t explicitly stated that something was wrong. Sure he hadn’t really texted her since he had come to her house the day he had discovered that she knew his deepest secret. Sure the last time she’d been to his house was when she’d been kidnapped by an evil clown. Sure there was an element of urgency in his text…

Who was she kidding? Adrien wanted her to come to his house. Something was wrong.

 **Juleka:** _On my way_

“Juleka?” Rose asked, worry slipping into her tone. Juleka tore her eyes away from her phone, meeting Rose’s concerned gaze. “Is everything okay?”

“Sorry, yeah,” Juleka said, willing her face to settle into a neutral, unconcerned expression as she stood. “I completely forgot that I told Adrien I’d study with him.” Rose blinked up at her for a second before scrambling to her feet as well.

Juleka decided she’d worry about the smoothness of her lie later when she wasn’t panicking.

“Oh, you have to go?” Rose asked, her face falling in a slight pout.

“Sorry, Rose,” Juleka said, pulling her into a tight hug. Rose’s arms found their way around her middle, hugging her back. “We’ll finish the project another time, okay?”

“Okay,” Rose said, smiling as she drew back. “Tell Adrien I said hi.” Juleka nodded and pulled on her shoes and grabbed her bag. She was already focused on getting to Adrien. So focused that when she abruptly stopped in the hallway, she almost didn’t know why. But then she backtracked to Rose’s door.

“Rose?” Juleka asked as she poked her head back around the door. Rose jumped a little where she’d sat back down on the floor and looked up at Juleka with wide eyes. “I love you.” A smile spread wide across Rose’s face.

“I love you too,” Rose said quietly. Then, Juleka was off again, blowing through the house and offering quick goodbyes to Lucas and Mrs. Lavillant.

If it weren’t for the fact that Juleka didn’t run on principle, she might have run all the way to Adrien’s house. As it was, her speed walk could probably have given some suburban moms a run for their money. Her heart was still pumping too quickly and her chest was too tight and if the startled reactions of the people she passed were anything to go by, her face was probably at least a little intense. She kept trying to tell herself that _meet me at my house_ was hardly a cry for help and that there wasn’t any news of an akuma attack last she checked (almost immediately after leaving Rose’s house).

However, Juleka’s brain seemed intent on thinking up disastrous scenarios that would somehow leave _her_ of all people as Adrien’s last resort for help. By the time Juleka turned onto Adrien’s empty street, her brain had already killed, maimed, or otherwise disabled Adrien, Ladybug, and half of Paris in several different ways.

It seemed like forever before Juleka arrived at the imposing front gate of Adrien’s mansion. It looked peaceful. Quiet. Not like there was anything wrong that would have a superhero calling up a civilian for assistance. Juleka pressed the intercom button next to the gate and hoped against hope that whatever was going on, she wasn’t too late.

Juleka almost jumped when a camera suddenly appeared far too close to her face. She stared up at it, willing her frayed nerves to chill out.

“Can I help you?” a bored female voice asked. Bored, not panicked. So far, so good.

“I’m here to see Adrien,” Juleka said, staring up at the camera.

“Name?” the voice asked.

“Juleka.” A long pause followed her answer. Then, without further explanation, the camera retreated behind a panel and the gate began to slide open on silent hinges. Juleka took a deep breath, reminded herself yet again that there wasn’t a real reason to freak out, continued to freak out, and walked into the courtyard.

The last time Juleka had been in this courtyard, she hadn’t gone any farther than the top of the stairs. This time, Juleka continued up the stairs and across the expanse to the massive front doors. She only hesitated for a moment before reaching out and pushing one of the giant doors inwards.

The inside of the Agreste mansion was in many respects similar to the outside. Sure there was a lot more white and a lot more marble, but it was still stupidly large, impressive, and beautiful in a strangely intimidating fashion that might have had something to do with the modern décor, but probably had more to do with the rather gloomy portrait of Gabriel Agreste and Adrien that looked like it would have been more at home in an eighteenth century castle. Juleka thought the portrait was an odd choice for decoration. Adrien looked miserable and Gabriel Agreste looked like he had a stick up his butt.

Of course, he generally looked like that.

“Hey, Jules.” Juleka looked around at the sound of Adrien’s voice echoing around the large foyer. She braced herself for panic, injury, or disaster. She braced herself for terror. She braced herself for helplessness. She braced herself for tears.

Juleka didn't get any of that.

Adrien was fine.

Like one hundred percent fine.

Fantastic even.

He had a huge smile on his face as he bounded down the stairs, whole, healthy, and happy. Maybe even _too_ happy. Certainly not devastated and not in need of a whole lot of help.

“Hey, Adrien,” Juleka said, not bothering to try to keep her confusion out of her voice. Adrien didn’t seem to notice.

“Come on, let’s go to my room,” Adrien said, gesturing to her from the landing and already turning to head back up the stairs. Juleka quirked an eyebrow at his back, but moved to follow him anyway. Adrien led her further into his house, which quickly proved to be a veritable maze of imposing hallways that Juleka was beginning to believe were only there to confuse and impress. Adrien stayed a step or two in front of her and kept glancing over his shoulder to grin at her, but didn’t say anything.

“Nice house,” Juleka said as they turned down yet another hallway.

“Thanks,” Adrien said, smiling at her again. “It’s not as cool as yours.”

“Nothing in your house stares at me,” Juleka said. “I think that’s an improvement.”

“But your place has a personality,” Adrien said with a sound that sounded vaguely like a snort. “I think _that’s_ an improvement.” Juleka just shrugged and continued to follow Adrien deeper into his over-large house. Perhaps he had a point. This was getting a little ridiculous. Of course, that was _before_ Adrien opened a door and they were finally in his room.

If Juleka thought the rest of the house was ridiculous, Adrien’s room was insane. It was literally bigger than Juleka’s apartment. It was probably bigger than Rose’s entire house. It kind of looked like someone had googled “teenage boy” and then shoved those things into one space. Video games, dangerously tall skate ramp, basketball hoop, rock climbing wall, full-scale library (which Juleka was going to be checking out later), two giant TVs, and two more computer monitors than most teenagers need. There was a huge fluffy couch that was probably more comfortable than Juleka’s bed at home. There was a huge fluffy bed that was definitely more comfortable than Juleka’s bed at home and was placed in a corner like it was only a secondary purpose of the room. One wall was lined with giant floor to ceiling windows, flooding the room with natural light and offering a pretty nice view of Paris.

It was huge.

It was crazy.

And it said absolutely nothing about who Adrien was.

Juleka’s room was literally painted with her thoughts and passions and personality. Adrien’s room could have come out of one of the magazines he posed for, like he’d shown up for a photo shoot that had never ended.

She could kind of understand why he preferred her apartment.

Adrien was standing in the middle of his room, his hands stuffed in his pockets, a wide smile spread across his face. His posture was trying for nonchalant and failing miserably. He was excited. Juleka couldn’t quite fathom why. She couldn’t fathom a lot of things. Adrien was obviously fine. He was excited and happy and _fine_. So why was she there? Why had he texted her? And what was he waiting for her to do?

“You really do have a rock climbing wall,” Juleka said slowly, for lack of anything else to say.

“Yeah, I do,” Adrien said, laughing a little. “Come on in.” Juleka followed Adrien further into the room, still looking around at all of the stuff. It wasn't every day that Juleka was in the same room as a foosball table.

“It’s cool,” Juleka said.

“Thanks,” Adrien said, a bit of tension seeping out of his shoulders. He plopped down on his couch and Juleka sat down next to him, hit by a fairly strong wave of déjà vu. Except this time, she had no idea why she was awkwardly perched on a couch with Adrien Agreste.

“Um, are you okay?” Juleka asked. Adrien raised an eyebrow at her, his smile faltering.

“Yeah, why?” Adrien asked.

“Nothing’s wrong?” Juleka asked.

“No?” Adrien said. His eyebrow raise turned into a furrow as his smile turned into a confused frown.

“You don’t need anything?” Juleka asked, just as confused as Adrien now.

“No, what-”

“Then why am I here?” Juleka asked. As soon as the words left her mouth it occurred to her that the question was probably a little too abrupt. But it was what she meant. If Adrien wasn’t having a Chat problem, then there wasn’t much reason for him to want to talk to her.

Juleka watched Adrien’s face fall. Really his whole body kind of fell. His eyes got sad. His shoulders dropped. Even his hands somehow wilted a little. Obviously, Juleka had asked her question a little too harshly. And obviously, she was missing something.

“I- I thought you might want to hang out,” Adrien said quietly, looking up at her with the most pitiful expression. Juleka just stared back at him for a moment.

“Hang out?” Juleka asked. She was pretty sure that the feeling freezing up her brain was shock, but confusion and disbelief were also high contenders.

“Yeah, I mean…friends do that, right? Hang out?” Adrien asked a little uncertainly, like he legitimately didn’t know what friends did.

“Oh. Yeah. I guess,” Juleka said. Juleka probably would have snorted had she had enough mental capacity for humor. She wasn’t exactly the person to ask about friendship.

“You said the other day that we could be friends, so I thought…” Adrien looked up at her with a glimmer of hope flickering across his face. Whatever he saw on Juleka’s made him wither again and his voice trailed off. “You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to.”

“No, that’s not it,” Juleka said quickly. She still wasn’t processing very well, but she couldn’t just sit here and let him look so damn _sad_. “I just- it didn’t occur to me that you’d want to hang out with me.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Adrien asked, looking back up at Juleka. He was frowning now instead of wilting and even though Juleka didn’t know how to respond to his question, she preferred it to the sadness. “You’re awesome,” Adrien continued.

“Oh,” Juleka said, super unsure of how to respond now. She offered him a little smile that was probably awkward, but mostly real. “Thanks. You’re cool too.”

“Thanks,” Adrien said, a grin spreading across his face. Just like that, the sadness that had been weighing down his body evaporated and he was perking up again. “So, you’ll stay?”

“Yeah,” Juleka said, sitting back against the couch. She was still a little shell shocked, but she wasn’t about to just _leave_ , especially when it seemed to turn Adrien into this pile of sadness. She wasn’t even going to try to figure this whole thing out.

“Cool,” Adrien said, still smiling at Juleka. Then his eyebrows furrowed again. “Wait, so what did you think I wanted?”

“I thought something had happened to you,” Juleka said, shrugging. “Like a Super thing. Like you were in trouble. I couldn’t think of another reason you’d text _me_.” She still couldn’t even though he’d already explained.

“Really?” Adrien asked, both of his eyebrows rising.

“Dude, did you see the texts you sent?” Juleka asked, amusement creeping into her confusion.

“They were normal texts,” Adrien protested, taking his phone out of his pocket to look at what he’d sent.

“Come over _right now_ ,” Juleka said flatly, raising an eyebrow at Adrien.

“I’m a busy person. I have time _now_ , but I might not _later_ ,” Adrien said. He sounded defensive, but Juleka could see the blush starting in his cheeks and the smile twitching his lips.

“Next time, phrase it differently,” Juleka said, shaking her head. “I was flipping out.”

“You? Flipping out?” Adrien asked, his smile spreading across his face. “I can’t imagine you flipping out. You’re so chill.” Juleka only shrugged again.

“Where’s Plagg?” Juleka asked, looking around for a magical talking cat.

“He’s probably sleeping somewhere,” Adrien said. “Whenever we’re home, he likes to roam since he spends so much time cooped up in my bag or my pocket.”

“He has to be with you all time, huh?” Juleka asked. “Sounds terrible.” Adrien laughed at that, relaxing back against the couch.

“It’s not that bad,” Adrien said. “He’s kinda my best friend, you know?” Adrien looked up at her with a fond smile lighting up his face. “But don’t tell him I said that. I’d never live it down.”

“My lips are sealed,” Juleka said solemnly. Adrien nodded his thanks.

“Do you play video games?” Adrien asked, sitting up.

“Sometimes I play with Rose,” Juleka answered. “But I’m no Marinette.”

“No one is a Marinette,” Adrien said, downright grinning now.

“That’s true,” Juleka said.

 _Truer than you know_ , Juleka thought, resisting the urge to laugh.

“Do you wanna play Mecha Strike?” Adrien asked. Juleka shrugged.

“Sure,” she said. “It’s been a while since I got my butt kicked. Might as well.” Adrien laughed as he stood up to set up the game.

Juleka watched Adrien moving around, plugging things in, pushing buttons, setting things up. He was a lot more relaxed now than he had been earlier, now that he knew she was staying. It was strange to Juleka that he was so full of this nervous energy. She was so used to seeing a different Adrien. That Adrien was always calm and polite and smooth, the closest thing to cool that collége had to offer. This Adrien? This Adrien was genuinely excited that Juleka was there. This Adrien sent weird texts and blushed when he reread them. This Adrien didn’t quite know what to do, but was trying so hard anyways. Juleka could only watch him and wonder and accept her controller without a word and shake her head when he started the game.

“What?” Adrien asked when he caught her head shake. Juleka raised an eyebrow at him.

“You always play with the cat bot?” Juleka asked.

“Yup,” Adrien said with a grin. “It’s the _feline_ st bot in the game.”

“Uh huh,” Juleka said, her eyebrow still firmly raised. “And it has nothing to do with the fact that you run around in a cat suit in your spare time?”

“Nothing at all,” Adrien said, the epitome of innocence. Juleka shook her head again before selecting her own bot.

As Juleka had expected, the fights were quick and brutal. The first couple rounds, Adrien managed to take her down in under a minute. There wasn’t much of a contest.

“You’re going easy on me, aren’t you?” Juleka asked when her bot was still alive five minutes into the next round. Juleka could see Adrien look at her out of the corner of her eye.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Adrien said. The innocence dripping from his tone almost covered his amusement. Almost. Adrien’s bot didn’t move as Juleka’s threw a kick, landing a hit for the third time since they’d started the game.

“Oh, so you just forgot how to dodge,” Juleka said, letting out a sigh because even now, she still had no hope.

“Maybe you just got really good,” Adrien said, throwing a punch way over the head of Juleka’s bot.

“Oh my god,” Juleka muttered..

“I thought you were atheist,” Adrien said, completely looking away from the screen to smirk at Juleka.

“Shut up,” she said. Adrien was still leaned back against the couch, not a care in the world. Juleka on the other hand, was leaned forward with her elbows on her knees, pressing buttons as quickly as she could in order to even pretend to be a challenge. Adrien’s bot sent another hit that should have sailed right over Juleka’s bot, but she accidentally jumped at the last minute, meaning that it landed and took out the last of her health.

“Oops, looks like I win again,” Adrien said, smiling a little sheepishly at Juleka.

“You know, most people don’t win accidentally,” Juleka said, flopping back against the couch.

“And most people don’t cause themselves damage, but you managed to find a way,” Adrien said, his smile widening beyond sheepish to pure amusement. He put his controller down and turned off the TV.

“In my defense, my most frequent opponent spends half of the game worrying about hurting me,” Juleka said, shooting her most unimpressed look Adrien’s way. He seemed unfazed. “So, I have to do my part and deal half of the hits myself. Not my fault you play a little differently.”

“Sounds like Rose,” Adrien said, chuckling quietly. He looked up at Juleka, his eyebrows furrowing for a moment. He opened his mouth and snapped it shut again.

“What?” Juleka asked, tilting her head at him.

“So, you’re dating Rose now,” Adrien said. It didn’t sound like he was done, but he just looked at Juleka like he was expecting a response.

“Yeah,” Juleka said.

“Do you like it? Dating her?” Adrien asked. Juleka tilted her head a little more.

“Yeah,” Juleka said. Adrien stayed quiet, looking up at Juleka like he was trying to figure out what he was trying to say. Juleka was trying to figure out the same thing. When he didn’t continue talking, Juleka sighed. “I really, really like her. I have for a long time. Almost since we met.” Juleka paused again. “I guess…it’s a little weird sometimes.”

“Weird?” Adrien asked. “How?”

“Well…I’ve liked her for years. Now I can finally say all of the things I’ve always wanted to say. Touch her the way I’ve always wanted to touch her. It’s weird being able to do all that. Weird, but…amazing.” Juleka looked down at the controller she still held in her hands. She felt a smile tug at her lips. “She’s amazing.”

Juleka looked back up when she heard Adrien sigh. He wasn’t looking at her anymore, instead looking out of the windows with this dreamy expression that looked a lot like Rose’s when she talked about her romances. He looked over at Juleka, a faint blush rising in his cheeks when he caught her eye.

“How did you, uh…How did you guys get together?” Adrien asked. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, I just-”

“I’m pretty sure it was your fault,” Juleka said. Adrien’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Juleka smiled.

“Me? I didn’t do anything,” Adrien said, sitting up straight to look down at Juleka.

“I never talked to Rose about boys, or the fact that I don’t like them, until she started insisting that you had a crush on me,” Juleka said, the corner of her mouth lifting into a smile.

“That I had a crush on you?” Adrien repeated, looking over her head with a slightly dazed expression. Juleka nodded.

“She told me later that she was jealous, so she kept asking me about it until I got flustered and told her I was gay. So later, when _I_ got jealous about Prince Ali-”

“Oh yeah, didn’t she get akumatized over him?” Adrien asked. Juleka raised an eyebrow at him. “Sorry.”

“When I kept asking her about dating him, she got up the courage to tell me that she liked me since she knew that I wasn’t straight. Then she asked me out. Now we’re dating,” Juleka said. Adrien blinked at her, still looking a little dazed.

“So, it’s my fault-”

“Because you got Rose jealous, yes,” Juleka said. She allowed her amused smirk to widen into a smile “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Adrien said, his dazed expression morphing into a grin. He laughed, shaking his head.

“Why do you ask?” Juleka said. Adrien immediately tensed, looking at Juleka like she’d just caught him with his hand in a cookie jar.

“Oh, you know, curiosity and, um-”

“Are you trying to figure out how to get with Ladybug?” Juleka asked. Adrien turned red in two seconds flat.

“What?” he asked, the word coming out choked.

“Because I don’t think my relationship with Rose is exactly a good example,” Juleka said.

“What do you-” Adrien spluttered.

“It took us three years to get together. Not great.”

“How did you…” Adrien’s voice trailed off, staring at Juleka with utter disbelief written all over his face.

“Know? It’s not like you’re particularly subtle,” Juleka said, raising an eyebrow. Adrien slumped back against the couch, his shocked face relaxing into a pout.

“I guess not,” Adrien said. He shook his head. “What _don’t_ you know about me at this point? You know I’m a superhero. You know I have a crush on my superhero partner.”

“There is something I don’t know,” Juleka said.

“Oh?” Adrien asked, perking up a little. “Do you finally have a question?”

“Yeah, I’ve been wondering this for ages,” Juleka said. Adrien nodded eagerly. “Why don’t you and Ladybug know each other’s identities?” Adrien’s jaw dropped for the second time in five minutes.

“How do you know _that_?!” Adrien exclaimed, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “Seriously, have you just been, like, following us or something? There’s no way you could have gotten that from news coverage.”

 _Because Ladybug sits behind you in class every day and you barely acknowledge her_ , Juleka thought.

“It’s just the way you guys act,” Juleka said, hoping that she could shrug this one off. “And in the news coverage you guys always go different directions when you leave, almost like you’re doing it on purpose so that you guys don’t end up in the same place. No real reason to do that unless you’re also hiding from each other.” It wasn’t a fantastic argument, but Adrien seemed to accept it at face value, leaning back against the couch with a heavy sigh. Juleka was beginning to wonder if she was a really great liar or if she just had really trusting friends. Probably a bit of both. Either way it kind of depressed her.

“Well, you’re right,” Adrien said. He stared down at his hands as he fiddled with his ring. “I don’t know who Ladybug really is and she doesn’t know who I am.”

“Why?” Juleka asked softly. Adrien looked up at her, then back down at his ring.

“One of the rules of the Miraculous is that we’re not supposed to tell anyone who we are,” Adrien said. “Ladybug insists that that extends to us. That _we_ aren’t supposed to know the truth either.”

“What do you think?” Juleka asked.

“I think that I wish I could see her every day,” Adrien said quietly. Juleka only managed to contain her snort because of the sadness in his face. His face lit up in the next moment, switching from despondency to excitement so fast, Juleka almost felt whiplashed. “She’s wonderful, Jules. She’s smart and strong and brave.” Adrien sighed again, but this time his sigh was dreamy.

“You really like her,” Juleka said. She’d already gathered that Adrien had a crush on Ladybug, but he had it worse than she’d guessed. Adrien turned his gaze to Juleka.

“Do you love Rose?” he asked. Juleka stared at him for a beat, a little thrown off by the abrupt change of course. She nodded slowly. “I don’t know who Ladybug really is, but I love her, Jules.”

“Are you talking about Ladybug  _again_?” Plagg demanded. Adrien jumped and turned to glare over the back of the couch at Plagg. Juleka wondered how long the kwami had been floating there.

“Yeah, he is,” Juleka said. Adrien turned to pout at Juleka.

“Et tu, Brute?” Adrien asked, placing his hand on his chest and leaning back against the couch in top dramatic form.

“He literally already heard you,” Juleka said.

“I do not talk about Ladybug that much,” Adrien said, turning his pout back on Plagg.

“That much?” Plagg said, zooming over the couch to hover in front of Adrien’s face. “She’s all you talk about. Why don’t you ever talk about anything interesting? Like cheese?”

“Cheese is not interesting, Plagg,” Adrien said, crossing his arms.

“Cheese is plenty interesting,” Plagg cried. His little face turned dreamy. “I could talk about camembert for hours. The sweet, sometimes almost buttery flavor, the soft, runny texture of a perfectly matured specimen, the delicate aroma-”

“That aroma haunts me, Plagg,” Adrien said, reaching up a finger to poke his kwami. Plagg scowled at him. “Why can’t you like something that _doesn’t_ make me smell like I've been molding for decades?”

“Why can’t _you_ talk about anything other than a girl you barely know?” Plagg shot back, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Are these the only conversations you guys ever have?” Juleka asked. Adrien and Plagg both turned to look at her.

“What do you mean?” they asked in unison. Juleka raised an eyebrow.

“Insult, insult, insult, cheese,” she said. Plagg and Adrien looked at each other, then back at Juleka.

“Yup,” Plagg said.

“Pretty much,” Adrien said.

“I don’t think Adrien’s the only one who needs to expand his repertoire,” Juleka said, chuckling.

“Hey,” Plagg protested, frowning at Juleka.

“Thank you,” Adrien said, looking very smug. Then he frowned. “Hey.” Juleka was still chuckling when she felt her phone buzz. She took it out, smiling reflexively when she saw that she had a text from Rose.

 **Rose:** _Are you okay?_

Juleka frowned down at the message, her fingers flying as she crafted her response.

 **Juleka:** _Yes. Why?_

“Is everything okay?” Adrien asked. Juleka nodded distractedly, waiting for Rose’s response.

 **Rose:** _Oh thank goodness. An akuma attack just started near the school._

Juleka’s eyes snapped up to Adrien’s concerned face.

“Akuma attack over by the school,” Juleka said quickly. Adrien’s eyes widened.

“Plagg,” Adrien said, rising from the couch and crossing over to the bank of windows. Plagg let out a little groan, but followed him. Juleka expected him to transform and leap out of a window, but he paused, turning back to look at her, uncertainty creasing his face.

“Go,” Juleka said. “I’ll be here when you’re done.” Adrien nodded and he turned back towards the windows.

“Claws out,” Adrien said, green light rippling over him until Chat Noir stood in his place. He threw a salute and a wink to Juleka before he opened a window and leapt away.

Juleka reached for the remote, turning on the TV and fiddling with it until she managed to find the akuma coverage. She turned it on just in time to see Chat Noir jump into battle against what looked like a massive snail. One would think a snail wouldn’t be all that difficult an opponent, but this snail was twenty feet tall and came with opposable thumbs. The camera was trying desperately to keep up with Chat’s movements as he darted around, but he was little more than black blur against the violently teal shell of the akuma. There was no red in sight.

Juleka watched the coverage, not exactly _worried_ so much as…vaguely anxious? She knew that Ladybug and Chat Noir would win against the akuma same as always. That was how it worked. So she wasn’t really worried about Adrien’s safety now even though she had been _very_ worried earlier. Now, she just felt this strange itch, like she should be doing something, anything, rather than just sitting her, _watching_. But what was there to do? Ladybug and Chat Noir didn’t exactly need a civilian’s help. Ladybug and Chat Noir…

Except Ladybug wasn’t there.

Juleka tracked the action on the screen for a little while longer, watched the akuma-snail rear back (don’t even ask how it managed that, Juleka had no idea) and slam into a building, strange snail arms reaching for Chat Noir just a little too slowly. But the camera didn’t pick up any bright red suits. Ladybug wasn’t on the scene.

Maybe Marinette hadn’t heard yet. Adrien didn’t know until Juleka told him, so it would make sense to think that she hadn’t heard…

Maybe Juleka should tell her that there was an akuma attack happening.

No, that was stupid. Ladybug and Chat Noir always managed to show up, had done so long before Juleka developed some weird sort of helpful urge. It seemed kind of strange that they hadn’t developed some sort of system for finding akumas other than waiting for the screams to reach them, but it had always worked. They didn’t need Juleka interfering.

Besides, what would Juleka even say?

_Hey, Marinette. There’s an akuma attack going on, maybe you should go take care of that since you’re secretly a superhero, oops did you not know that I knew haha_

That would be a great message to receive before running into battle against a giant snail in which one shouldn’t have any distractions.

How could Juleka even think about sending that message without freaking Marinette out?

Well, she could do what Rose had done and just ask if she was okay…

Juleka had her phone in her hand before she remembered that she and Marinette weren't that close. They didn’t ask about each other’s wellbeing. It’d be a huge red flag.

Marinette was probably on her way already.

A zip of red would probably show up on the screen any moment.

There was no way she hadn’t heard yet...

 

Juleka managed to convince herself of that all the way up until Chat was backhanded into a wall. He fell at least two stories to the ground and stayed there, unmoving.

 **Juleka:** _Hey Marinette I saw that an akuma was heading towards your bakery just wanted to make sure you were okay_

 **Marinette:** _omg I didn’t even see that I was focusing so hard on this dang physics homework_  
**Marinette:** _thnx for worrying about me im safe tho_

 **Juleka:** _Cool_

Five minutes later, Ladybug swung into view, landing protectively in front a very disoriented Chat. Juleka let out a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding.

She sat back against the couch, watching the rest of the akuma fight in stunning HD. Chat jumped back into the fray, fighting as if he hadn’t been basically out of commission just moments before. Fighting as if he hadn’t been sitting on this couch in this ridiculous parody of a bedroom talking about his crush just moments before.

That was weird.

Super weird.

Not that he had a crush; Juleka had known that for a long time. But that he had talked about it with _her_. Here. In his house. Where he’d invited her. Just because he wanted to. That was _weird_. Sure he’d asked to be her friend and she’d said yes, but she hadn’t really expected anything to change. She’d figured they’d stay _less_ friends, like they’d been before. But he wanted to hang out with her and show her his room and tell his secrets. Well, _try_ to tell her secrets that she had actually already figured out, but the intent was there.

Juleka wondered if he’d still want to hang out with her if she didn’t know his Super Secret.

She wondered if it mattered.

Suddenly, the TV screen was awash in a swirl of ladybugs, momentarily casting the couch in a lurid red light, and then it was gone. The twenty-foot snail was nowhere to be seen and a slightly rumpled looking man in a wide sun hat sank to his knees between Ladybug and Chat Noir. The two heroes pounded fists and took off, one in one direction and one in the other. The screen cut to a news anchor and Juleka turned off the TV, sinking a little lower on the couch.

Adrien would be back soon. Juleka wondered if he’d want to keep hanging out. He’d seemed to reluctant to leave before. He’d probably make her laugh. Plagg would _definitely_ make her laugh. Adrien might convince her to play more video games (lose at more video games) or he’d keep talking about Ladybug or maybe he’d ask her about Rose again. Juleka wasn't sure if she minded that. She’d never gotten to talk about Rose before.

Or maybe he’d insist on doing some studying if she told him about what she'd told Rose. It was strange knowing that it would upset him. That he’d care about what she had done, what she had dropped in order to sit on his really comfortable couch. Juleka supposed that it shouldn’t be so weird. He was just that kind of person. Juleka resolved not to let him know. She didn’t want him to worry. Because he was her friend.

What Adrien did when he showed up turned out to be none of those things. He slipped in through a window with an ease that spoke of practice. It was dark outside now and he was just one more shadow until he stood in the bright light of his room.

“Hey,” Chat Noir said (Adrien said? Juleka didn’t know what to call him when he was in costume anymore), standing just inside the room.

“Hey,” Juleka said. She sat up on the couch. “You good?”

“Purr-fect,” Chat said, his nonchalant tone belied by the fact that he was bouncing on his toes, like he had too much energy despite the fact that he’d just taken on a giant monster.

“Really? Looked like you hit that wall pretty hard,” Juleka said, raising one eyebrow. Chat suddenly turned shy, one hand rising to rub at his neck.

“You were watching?” Chat asked. It was strange watching this superhero act like Adrien. Sure he _was_ Adrien. But Juleka had never seen him act like it before.

“Of course,” Juleka said. “You kicked butt. It was awesome.” Chat beamed at her, his hand falling to his side.

“Thanks,” he said. He bounced on his toes again and if he'd had pockets, Juleka was sure his hands would've been buried in them. “I, uh, was wondering if you might want to go for a ride?”

“A ride?” Juleka asked. She tilted her head. Chat nodded quickly, his ears flopping a little on his head.

“I didn’t have to use Cataclysm, so my transformation won’t run out. I thought you might enjoy seeing Paris from above,” Chat said, taking a step backwards and lightly leaping up to crouch in the open window. He turned back to look at her, his eyes glowing green through his mask and his grin glinting. He held out one hand.

Juleka stared at Chat for a moment, hardly able to believe what he was offering. Hardly able to believe that this was something she was allowed. Once it sank in, she was on her feet instantly.

Juleka still had dreams sometimes of floating above Paris, contained in a green bubble on route to the stars.

She didn’t hesitate to place her hand in Chat’s and only gasped a little when he effortlessly pulled her up into his arms. It was a little weird just being moved around so easily, maneuvered until she was clamped on his back like an octopus. She didn’t care. Chat lingered for a moment, balanced on the edge of the window with Paris extending before them, and she wondered if he could feel her heart beating against his back.

When he jumped, it kind of felt like flying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Adrien isn't the only one who makes mistakes...


	15. Easy as Pie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juleka visits a bakery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late updates dudes! I was out of town all weekend and didn't get as much time to write as I expected :(
> 
> Also: I will be using the new character last names from now on, so the Bonnet family is now the Lavillant family.

“Good morning, Jules,” Adrien said, grinning at Juleka as she walked by his table. Nino and Alya didn’t even look up from their whispering as Juleka waved back at him and proceeded up the stairs. At some point, it had somehow become normal for Adrien to say hello to her and goodbye to her and to talk to her in their free moments. Some mornings, if Rose wasn’t already in the classroom, Juleka would even stop and have a conversation with him. However, this particular morning-

“Juleka!” Rose called, her face lighting up as her eyes found her. Juleka smiled back at her as she slipped into her seat.

“Hey, Rose,” Juleka said. She put down her bag and slipped her fingers into Rose’s, taking a moment to drink in the feel of skin under her fingertips. _This_ still hadn’t become normal yet. Juleka hoped it never would.

“How are you this morning?” Rose asked, grinning up at her and rubbing her thumb against the back of her hand.

“Great,” Juleka said. “How are you?”

“I’m wonderful now,” Rose said, her smile turning shy and her cheeks turning pink.

“Ugh, you guys are worse than Ivan and Mylene,” Kim said, turning around in his seat to glare at them. Juleka glared right back, doing her best to burn a hole in Kim’s face. Her intimidation tactics were completely derailed by the feel of soft lips brushing against her cheek. Juleka turned wide eyes on Rose in time to see her cover a giggle with her free hand.

“I’m okay with that,” Rose said through her giggles. “What about you, Juleka?”

“I don’t mind,” Juleka said, grinning down at Rose and giving her hand a squeeze. Kim groaned, but Juleka kept looking at Rose. It was a much better view.

“Good morning, class,” Ms. Bustier said as she walked into the room. Juleka reluctantly turned to the front, ready to pay attention. She’d come a long way from only being able to focus on skin under her fingertips whenever she was holding Rose’s hand. She was capable of multi-tasking now. So, when Ms. Bustier started talking about the French Revolution, Juleka was dutifully taking notes.

Mostly.

 

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It was after lunch break that the screaming started. The sound was pretty faint and hardly discernable under the quiet sound of mass destruction, but it was definitely screaming.

“Everybody eyes on me, please,” Ms. Bustier said, heaving her best long suffering sigh. “You know the akuma protocol. Classes cannot stop every time Paris is attacked by a monster.” Three hands shot up and Ms. Bustier sighed again.

“Ms. Bustier, I need to go to the bathroom,” Alya said in a rush, not waiting to be called on. Juleka held in her snort when both Marinette and Adrien turned to Alya, body language communicating frustration, their hands still raised.

“Really?” Ms. Bustier asked slowly, one eyebrow raised.

“Yes, Ms. Bustier,” Alya said, her tone telegraphing innocence.

“You don’t just want to go videotape the akuma fight?” Ms. Bustier asked.

“Um,” Alya said. Her moment of hesitation cost her.

“Alya, you know you’re not allowed to leave the classroom during akuma fights,” Ms. Bustier said. “You disappear for hours.”

“I-”

“What do you need, Adrien?” Ms. Bustier said, turning firmly to the second raised hand.

“Can I go to the bathroom?” Adrien asked. Juleka could imagine the “innocent” smile on his face right now. She could also imagine the annoyance on Marinette’s face as her shoulders dropped.

“Adrien-” Ms. Bustier started, working on another sigh.

“It’s really an emergency,” Adrien said quickly, bouncing a little in his seat for good measure. Ms. Bustier let out her sigh and nodded at him.

“Quickly,” Ms. Bustier said. Adrien shot out of his seat, practically running out of the room. Ms. Bustier shook her head slightly before turning to Marinette. “And you? I suppose you have to go to the bathroom too?”

“Um, yes?” Marinette said, her wince evident in her voice. Ms. Bustier stared at her for a second, then shook her head again.

“Alright, you can go when Adrien-” Ms. Bustier started.

“Please, Ms. Bustier, I need to go _now_ ,” Marinette said desperately, rising from her seat and awkwardly dancing in place. Ms. Bustier watched her for a long moment, exasperation taking over her face. The exasperation was finally replaced by defeat and she waved a hand towards the door. Marinette lurched forward and was out of the room in seconds. Ms. Bustier looked after her for another moment, then let out another sigh before turning back to the class.

“Alright, back to what I was saying- Nino, Alya, if you’d save your conversation for later, please- the project that I assigned to you last week…”

Juleka tuned Ms. Bustier out as she started talking about the French project, preferring instead to contemplate the now empty seats at the front of the classroom. It was a little different now, watching Marinette and Adrien. She had always known them, but now Juleka knew a side to Adrien she hadn’t been able to really see before. Watching the two dance around each other without even realizing it was a little more…complicated? Juleka was often still endlessly amused by the two of them (the bathroom? Really? There was no other possible explanation for leaving the classroom?) but she also got frustrated sometimes and contemplative.

Adrien was in love with Ladybug. That’s what he’d told Juleka. Love. He talked about her all the time and he wanted to be with her all the time. Anybody with eyes (except for, of course, Adrien (Juleka had checked)) could see that Marinette had a hopeless crush on Adrien. She could barely form sentences and was constantly on the edge of a blush. They were so ridiculously close to finding happiness together and yet...for the same reason they were close, they were also very, very far.

And all Juleka could do was watch. So sometimes she laughed and sometimes she thought and she talked to Adrien and didn’t talk to Marinette and sometimes it felt like she should but it felt just as much as if she shouldn’t and Juleka didn’t really know what to do with that.

“Marinette and Adrien have been gone an awfully long time.”

Juleka slammed back down to earth.

Ms. Bustier was frowning at the two conspicuously empty seats, her eyebrows furrowed. Juleka checked the time on her tablet and, sure enough, Marinette and Adrien had been gone for a little over twenty minutes. Juleka could see Ms. Bustier’s mind working. Any moment now, she’d open her mouth and ask someone to go look for them. That student would go and discover rather quickly that Marinette and Adrien were not in the bathroom like they were supposed to be and might even catch them sneaking back into the school, which could lead to them getting in a whole lot of trouble, possibly grounded, if not suspended, punished for protecting Paris and probably hindered from continuing to do so and certainly _upset_ if nothing else-

“I’ll go look for them,” Juleka said, popping up out of her seat. Ms. Bustier’s gaze flickered up to Juleka along with every other set of eyes in the classroom, all of them surprised, all of them curious, but none of them as surprised as Juleka.

Juleka didn’t volunteer for things. Ever. When you volunteered for things, everyone _looked_ at you and even worse, you then had to do things. So Juleka didn’t volunteer. Until now apparently. Juleka was already regretting her outburst, but she forced herself to stay standing under the class’s scrutiny. She didn’t look down at Rose.

“Thank you, Juleka,” Ms. Bustier said, trying and failing to mask her surprise. “Just go check up on them, would you?” Juleka gave a small nod and stepped out into the aisle, moving quickly down the stairs and out the door with her head ducked and her bangs protecting her from the stares of her classmates. She only started breathing again when the door closed behind her.

Juleka looked around the empty hallway, letting herself take a deep breath and a moment to digest the situation. Once she had, she sighed. Sure, Juleka had earned them a little bit of leeway, but Juleka could hardly “check up on them” indefinitely. Two students disappearing could be written off as irresponsible or a fluke. Three was pushing the limit into suspicious. Juleka sighed again and turned to walk down the hallway to the bathroom, taking her time.

She made a mental note to talk to Adrien about finding better excuses. Maybe she could find some way to mention it to Marinette too without being too suspicious. There were only so many times they could go to the bathroom before someone else figured it out. Juleka could still hardly believe that neither of _them_ had figured it out. How could they not find it strange that they always needed to go to the bathroom at the same time? What, did they think they had some sort of bladder telepathy or something?

How could two such smart people be so, so dumb?

Juleka ambled into the bathroom, not bothering to look around, just leaning against one of the lockers and pulling out her phone to check the news for the report on the akuma. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw that a Miraculous explosion had already been confirmed. Now it was only a matter of time before the heroes showed up. She just needed to give them time to get back to the classroom, then she could go in, mumble something about looking _all over_ for them, act surprised when she saw them already in their seats, shake her head at Adrien’s smug expression and Marinette’s oh-so-innocent-except-definitely-hiding-something smile, and find her seat. Then she could go back to holding Rose’s hand under the table in peace.

The squeak of a window interrupted Juleka’s planning and she looked up to see Chat Noir drop into the room, releasing his transformation as he went so that when he touched the floor, he was Adrien once more. He lifted the edge of his shirt to allow Plagg to zip inside before finally looking up. He jumped when he saw Juleka.

“Hey, Jules,” Adrien said, walking over to her with a slightly bemused smile. “What are you doing here?”

“Covering,” Juleka said, shaking her head a little earlier than planned. “You know, literally anyone could have been standing here, just waiting to learn who Chat Noir really is.” Adrien’s eyes shifted away as his hand came up to rub at the back of his neck, his cheeks turning pink.

“I checked before I came in,” Adrien said, still not meeting Juleka’s eyes. “It’s not like I would just, pft, de-transform without making sure there was no one in here. Please, Jules, give me some-”

“I saw you jump.”

“Okay, fine, you’re right,” Adrien mumbled. Plagg poked his head out of Adrien’s shirt.

“Did Adrien just admit someone else was right?” Plagg gasped dramatically. “Please tell me someone got that on tape.”

“Go back to the classroom,” Juleka said before Adrien could open his mouth to deliver a retort. “I need to pretend I couldn’t find you.” Adrien looked at her for a second before realization dawned on his face and his lips split into a sunny smile.

“Thanks, Jules,” Adrien said, patting her shoulder as he walked past. Juleka just shook her head at him. So dumb.

Juleka only lingered for another moment after the door swung shut behind Adrien. If he was back, Marinette couldn’t be too far away, so it was probably safe for Juleka to go ahead and return to the classroom. She pushed away from the lockers and turned towards the door.

That was when the squeak of a window pulled Juleka’s attention.

She turned without thinking towards the sound just in time to meet a pair of bright blue eyes as Marinette’s transformation dissolved around her in a wave of pink light.

Juleka and Marinette stood there for a long moment, just staring at one another.

When Juleka’s brain kicked back in, she was immediately bombarded with a spear of déjà vu so strong she could practically taste it. Perhaps she wasn’t trapped in an alley by a crazed seamstress, but these blue eyes were just as shocked as those green eyes had been. Juleka sighed as she realized that she’d have to have _another_ weird conversation about this.

Juleka’s sigh apparently released some sort of dam for Marinette because she immediately dissolved into an awkward mess.

“Juleka!” Marinette burst out, gaping now, her eyes blown wide. “Oh god, um, d-did you…you saw…how- um…hi?” Marinette’s hand came up in a stiff little wave and her face twisted into that don’t-take-me-to-Vegas grin as she tried, and completely failed, to come up with an appropriate response to the situation she now found herself in. Juleka just shook her head (second time in as many minutes, might be a personal record) and leaned back against the lockers with her arms folded over her chest.

“Hi,” Juleka said. Marinette deflated out of her stiff wave, her don’t-trust-anything-I’m-saying smile fading into a pout.

“I don’t suppose there’s any way you didn’t just see that?” Marinette asked sadly.

“See what?”

“Wait, really?” Marinette asked incredulously, perking up a little.

“No.”

Juleka snorted when Marinette deflated again.

“We can talk about this later,” Juleka said. Gee, where had she heard _that_ before? “Right now, you need to get back to class.” Marinette looked up at her with confusion.

“You don’t seem-”

“Yeah, yeah,” Juleka said, flapping her hand impatiently. “Later. I was sent to look for you.” Marinette paled at that, physically reeling back.

“Okay, um, we can go to my house after school?” Marinette suggested quickly, already moving towards the door. Juleka nodded, still leaning against the lockers as Marinette disappeared into the hall. Juleka shook her head yet again.

She couldn’t believe it.

Two superheroes had come from the same place, entered the same building through the same window, neither of them checking to see if, oh, some random girl was standing right in front of the window before releasing their transformations, had been caught by the same girl on the way to the same classroom, and yet:

They still had _absolutely no idea._

None at all.

Zip.

**_How?_ **

Juleka allowed herself one last sigh and headshake before pushing away from the lockers again. She half expected to be interrupted by the squeak of a window, but this time, she managed to make it out of the bathroom without anyone risking any secret identities. Juleka made her way back down the hallway, pausing before the classroom door to take a deep breath.

For a moment, upon entering the classroom, Juleka was the object of everyone’s attention. She did her best to ignore her impulse to flinch or hide, instead turning a carefully composed surprised face on Adrien and Marinette, both now sitting in their seats. It was a task made infinitely harder by the two heroes she was _trying_ to help. As predicted, Adrien beamed at her, his face so smug that anyone looking at him would just assume that he had done something sketchy even if he hadn’t just disappeared for over twenty minutes. Marinette was even worse, crossing her normal probably-just-committed-a-crime smile with an interesting deer-in-the-headlights grimace for maximum suspiciousness. It took all Juleka had not to snort at them.

Good god, how did they keep _anything_ secret?

“Huh,” Juleka said, offering a shrug to Ms. Bustier. The teacher raised a tired eyebrow, but didn’t say anything as Juleka moved up the aisle, sinking into her seat with relief. Attention returned to Ms. Bustier and Marinette and Adrien (well, just Adrien really) visibly relaxed.

Rose took Juleka's hand and gave her a completely normal smile, not tinged with nervousness or panic or anything. Juleka smiled back, letting the wonderful feeling of Rose’s hand recharge her emotional batteries.

She had a feeling she was going to need it.

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It was hard to pay attention for the rest of the day when, in pretty much every class, Juleka had a superhero flipping out in her line of vision.

Marinette was trying really hard to stay calm, of that much Juleka was relatively certain. However, it was obvious that she was failing rather spectacularly. Her shoulders were hunched, she kept messing with her pigtails, her jacket, her tablet, her stylus, her own fingers sometimes, and she wouldn’t stop glancing around nervously, her eyes darting around the room as if she expected to find accusing fingers everywhere. Most often, Marinette turned to look over her shoulder at Juleka.

Juleka wasn’t _trying_ to stare at Marinette. She was doing her best to focus on what Ms. Mendeleiev had to say about chemical reactions. But Marinette was between her and the teacher and every time Marinette glanced back, Juleka automatically focused on her, so they made awkward, panicked eye contact again and again. Which probably didn’t help Marinette calm down _at all_.

Even Alya was picking up on Marinette’s nervousness. Juleka watched her place a hand on her friend’s arm, whispering something to her. She saw Marinette jump, shake her head quickly. She could imagine the grin spreading across her face as she tried to convince Alya that she was fine, totally fine.

Juleka sighed. It was going to be a very long afternoon.

She had a brief respite in the form of art class and the blissfully quiet Nathanaël, but her escape couldn't last forever. The one time she left the classroom (to  _actually_ use the bathroom unlike  _some_ people), she worried about running into Marinette the whole time. When the final bell rang and Juleka moved to pack up her art supplies, she couldn’t decide if she was relieved that the day was finally over or apprehensive about the confrontation to come. Either way, she didn’t have to watch Marinette freak out from afar anymore, so that was a definite plus.

And luckily, Juleka hadn’t been planning to go to Rose’s that afternoon, so she wouldn’t have to find a way to explain to her girlfriend why she was ditching her. She’d just have to find another time to go visit Master Fu.

Marinette was waiting for Juleka out in front of the school. She was nervously pacing, one arm gesturing wildly while the other held her purse open close to her face. She looked a little ridiculous, but it honestly wasn’t all that weird for Marinette. She was always a bit of a character. Always had been. Even before she'd started spending her free time running around rooftops.

Marinette froze when she saw Juleka, hastily snapping her purse shut and letting it fall to her side. She stood stiff and smiling as Juleka descended the stairs.

“Hey, Juleka,” Marinette managed as Juleka approached her. “I guess, um, we’ll go now?” Juleka nodded and Marinette turned on her heel and began walking down the sidewalk. Juleka probably would have chuckled, maybe even full out laughed, if it wasn’t so very, very awkward.

The walk to Marinette’s house wasn’t a long one, but the air was so full of tension and unspoken words that it felt like it took forever. They couldn’t talk about what they needed to talk about out on the street with people brushing past them every moment, but they couldn’t seem to talk about anything else. So they walked in painfully awkward silence. Marinette kept fiddling with her earrings and looking at Juleka out of the corner of her eye. Juleka kept wishing she were pretty much anywhere else.

Finally reaching the Dupain-Cheng bakery was like finally reaching the top of Mount Everest and Juleka let out a tiny sigh of relief. She thought she saw a little bit of tension leave Marinette’s shoulders as she surged ahead to push open the front door. Juleka followed, stepping into the warm embrace of the bakery. It felt like…well, it kind of felt like what Juleka thought home would feel like. If home were filled with racks of baked goods and a cash register. Juleka took a moment to inhale the wonderful scent of bread baking, then followed Marinette further into the shop.

A large, barrel chested man with a magnificent mustache pushed through a door and grinned when he saw Marinette. Juleka recognized him from Career Day.

“Hey, Marinette,” Mr. Dupain said, holding his tray of pastries out of the way as he leaned down to receive a kiss on the cheek from Marinette.

“Hello, Papa,” Marinette said, smiling up at her father. There was still a nervous edge to her voice and her movements, but it wasn’t very noticeable now.

“And who’s this?” Mr. Dupain said, turning a friendly smile on Juleka.

“This is Juleka, Papa, you remember,” Marinette said, playfully nudging her father as he moved past her to set the tray down on the counter. “She’s been in my class almost every year since preschool.”

“Ah, sorry, Juleka,” Mr. Dupain said, setting his fists on his hips and shooting Juleka a smile that was only slightly sheepish. “It’s nice to see you again.” Juleka nodded at him, not all that surprised that he didn’t remember her.

“We’ll be upstairs, Papa,” Marinette said, turning and walking past the counter towards a door at the back. Juleka offered a little smile to Mr. Dupain and followed. Marinette seemed much more relaxed as she led Juleka up some stairs to her home. She was obviously still very tense, very fidgety, very nervous, but less so than she had been all afternoon. Apparently, she felt safer on her home turf. Juleka tried to imagine automatically feeling safer in her home. It seemed kind of strange to her, since her apartment always made her feel edgy rather than safe. But there were other places that let her breathe easier. The art room and the library, Master Fu’s place, Rose’s room. She could understand.

Marinette glanced over her shoulder at Juleka before opening the door into her home. It was a nice place. Clean and bright, with white walls and matching colors and large curtained windows. Not very big, but certainly big enough for the Dupain-Chengs. Marinette turned just past the front door and started up more stairs, pushing through the trap door at the top and ascending into what had to be Marinette’s bedroom.

Juleka followed Marinette into the room, taking in the pink paint, the lofted bed, the oh-so-subtle pictures of Adrien splashed across her walls as if no one would ever see them. It was a really cool space, with lots of room to work and create and very little to trip over which seemed like a must for the queen of klutz.

Marinette stood in the center of her room, twisting her hands together, staring at Juleka. She looked so panicked, so lost, so unsure of herself, all of her relaxation a mere memory as they came to the moment they’d both been waiting for all afternoon. Juleka’s chest tightened. She tried to remember how she and Adrien had managed to transition from awkward and unsure to laughing and talking. She tried to find a way to release the tension twisting Marinette’s hands and locking her muscles. Adrien had been awkward, yes, but Marinette…

Marinette was scared.

And Juleka wasn’t sure how-

“You can’t tell anyone,” Marinette blurted suddenly.

“Of course not,” Juleka said softly. Marinette seemed to relax a little at Juleka’s immediate response, but she stayed standing in the center of the room, hesitating. Juleka tilted her head at the lounge situated off to the side of the room. “Can I…” Marinette hesitated again, then nodded jerkily. She followed Juleka over to the lounge, perching on the edge of it, still stiff and still nervous.

“So…” Marinette said slowly.

“So,” Juleka said. She hesitated for a moment before continuing. “You’re Ladybug.”

Somehow, that was the key. Marinette sighed, the tension leaking from her body. She scooted back on the lounge, crossing her feet under her as she turned towards Juleka.

“Yeah, I’m Ladybug,” Marinette said, defeat coloring her voice. She glanced up at Juleka with a raised eyebrow. “You don’t seem very surprised.”

“I’m not,” Juleka said, trying to reign in the smile pushing at her lips.

“Why?” Marinette asked tentatively, like she was kind of afraid of the answer she was going to get.

“Partially because I already knew,” Juleka said. Marinette blinked. Juleka watched as thoughts flashed across Marinette’s face. First confusion, then more confusion, then realization, and finally shock. Her jaw dropped and her eyes grew wide as she started floundering.

“What?!” Marinette squeaked. “You- you already- but- I- you- how?”

“We’ve been in the same class for years, Marinette,” Juleka said with a wry smile. “You didn’t think anyone was going to notice when you started disappearing all the time?”

“But- but-” Marinette tried.

“I also saw you transform,” Juleka said. Marinette snapped out of her daze, frowning at Juleka.

“Well, yeah, you saw me today, but you said-” Marinette started.

“No, not today. I first saw you transform a couple months ago,” Juleka said. Marinette flinched so hard that she fell backwards off of the lounge. Juleka jumped when she heard Marinette’s body hit the floor and quickly leaned over to see if she was alright. Marinette’s head almost collided with Juleka’s when she popped up past the edge of the lounge, her hands clutching at the cushions.

“Months ago?” Marinette squeaked.

“Yeah, first time I saw you was when Evillustrator attacked,” Juleka said. Marinette looked down as she tried to remember. “I already suspected, but you proved it to me then.”

“But-” Marinette started, completely at a loss now. Juleka continued when it was obvious that Marinette didn’t have anything more to say.

“And then I saw you when Dark Cupid attacked,” Juleka said.

“But-” Marinette sank so that her mouth was hidden behind the edge of the lounge.

“Behind a park bench? Really?”

“I-” Only Marinette’s wide eyes were visible now.

“What kind of cover does a park bench offer?”

“You’ve seen me transform _three times_?” Marinette asked quietly from the behind the lounge, her forehead now resting against the cushion, embarrassment leaking into her tone along with just a touch of despair.

“Yeah.”

“You’ve known that I’m secretly a superhero for _months_.”

“Yeah.”

“And you didn’t think to _say_ anything?” Marinette’s head rose past the edge of the lounge so that she could glare at Juleka accusingly.

“Why would I? Not like I was going to tell anyone,” Juleka said, shrugging.

“Why- don’t you think it would have been nice for me to know that my cover had been blown?” Marinette said, lurching to her feet suddenly. She started pacing back and forth, her arms gesturing wildly. “If you’ve known this entire time, how many other people know? I assumed that if someone ever figured it out, I’d know, like, immediately, but apparently there might be people just _wandering around_ who know all about it that I have no idea of, oh my god.”

“Marinette, calm down,” Juleka said tentatively, wincing when she heard one of Marinette’s hands hit the wall.

“This is not the time for calmness!” Marinette cried, abruptly turning to Juleka.

“Yeah, it is,” Juleka said. “I’m pretty sure no one else knows.”

“How do you know?” Marinette said, her tone unexpectedly soft, reaching out to Juleka for answers.

“Um…” Juleka said. She was surprised to find that she was actually stumped by the question. Juleka spent a lot of her time wondering how people _didn’t_ know the identities of Paris’s superheroes. By her logic, as well as by Marinette’s, there very well could be people out there that knew. But something inside Juleka told her that nobody did. The idea made that something shift uncomfortably, like it couldn’t be true. “Well, I’m pretty sure no one else in our class knows, at least,” Juleka said at last, offering the only answer she could be sure of.

“Again, how do you know?” Marinette asked. She wasn’t pacing anymore, just standing in front of Juleka with her arms wrapped around her ribs.

“Because our class sucks at keeping secrets,” Juleka said, allowing a smile to spread across her face.

“Yeah, except for the superhero,” Marinette said with the ghost of a smirk.

“The superhero I figured out in a matter of months?” Juleka asked, raising one eyebrow.

“Right.” Marinette deflated a little. She looked up at Juleka through her eyelashes. “You really figured it out because I kept disappearing?”

“No one needs regular twenty-minute bathroom breaks,” Juleka said, giving Marinette a little smile. “But there were a bunch of little things.”

“Like?” Marinette asked, settling back down on the lounge. She wasn't quite _happy_ just yet, but she was calm at least. Mostly.

“Missing textbook, strangely confident around akuma, sudden ability to stand up to Chloe, etc.” Juleka ticked evidence off on her fingers.

“I knew that textbook was going to come back and bite me,” Marinette said, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

“Rose told me that you said you dropped it out of a window,” Juleka said, her smile widening.

“I panicked!” Marinette cried, even as she started giggling at herself. Juleka chuckled.

“So, you’ve known for sure since Evillustrator…” Marinette said, her sentence trailing off as her face turned thoughtful. Juleka stayed silent, watching Marinette putting pieces together, waiting for her to come to the same conclusion that Adrien had. “So, when you sent me that text the other day, you knew that you were texting Ladybug.” Juleka nodded.

“I wasn’t going to get involved, but Chat had just gotten thrown into a wall,” Juleka said. She shrugged. “I kinda panicked.”

“I’m glad you texted. Chat needed help,” Marinette said, smiling at Juleka. Then Marinette’s smile disappeared and her eyebrows furrowed.

“You’ve known since Evillustrator,” Marinette said again. Juleka tensed, waiting for Marinette to realize the timeline, same as Adrien had. Marinette stared at her, thoughts churning in her brain, but not readable on her face.

“You’re the one who figured Chat out, aren’t you?” Marinette asked quietly. Juleka tensed even more, staring back at Marinette with wide eyes.

“What?” Juleka asked, legitimately confused.

“A couple weeks ago, Chat showed up to patrol all guilty and he told me that someone from his school figured out that he was Chat Noir. That they’d known since Evillustrator,” Marinette explained, her eyes locked on Juleka’s. “It was you, wasn’t it? You figured him out.”

Juleka blinked at Marinette, entirely unsure of how to respond. It was true. But saying yes was more than just a confirmation. Saying yes meant that Chat Noir attended their school. It meant that Juleka was in a position to observe his movements and was possibly even close to him. Saying yes meant revealing something about Chat’s identity without his permission, putting the two heroes closer to the truth than they had ever been before. Juleka had been trying so hard to avoid doing that. But saying no meant lying to Marinette.

In the end, her silence decided for her.

“Oh my god, you are,” Marinette breathed. Juleka watched Marinette’s dumbfounded expression for a moment longer before nodding slowly. “Oh my god, that…if Chat was discovered by someone at school and you were the one that discovered him then that means that Chat goes to _your_ school which means that Chat goes to _my_ school.” Juleka nodded again. Marinette stilled, staring off at a point just over Juleka’s shoulder, perhaps trying to sort through the boys in their school, or maybe just trying to absorb the new information and what it meant.

“Are you okay?” Juleka asked after Marinette had had some time to process. Marinette’s eyes snapped to Juleka’s face.

“Yeah,” Marinette said slowly, nodding. “I- I think so. It’s just a lot to take in.” Juleka nodded, allowing silence to stretch between them again for a long moment.

“Do you…do you think I could meet your kwami?” Juleka asked hesitantly. Marinette’s eyes widened a little. She regarded Juleka for a moment before nodding. She reached around to her purse and opened it. A little red head poked out of the bag, one black spot spreading across the forehead between two antennas, two black spots sitting lower on the sides. Two large blue eyes cast a quick glance at Marinette before the kwami flew out and smiled sweetly at Juleka.

“Hello, Juleka,” the kwami said, voice high and vaguely feminine, though Juleka couldn’t be sure. “My name is Tikki.”

“Hi, Tikki,” Juleka said. Tikki floated closer and Juleka held out a hand for the little being to rest on. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too,” Tikki said, one little hand patting Juleka’s palm.

“You’re much more polite than Plagg,” Juleka said, smiling slightly. Tikki giggled.

“Everyone’s politer than Plagg,” Tikki giggled, sounding much more like a little girl than a magical being.

“Plagg?” Marinette asked, glancing between Juleka and her kwami.

“Chat’s kwami,” Juleka explained. Marinette’s eyes widened again.

“Oh, right,” Marinette said, a little dazed.

“How is he?” Tikki asked.

“Good,” Juleka said. “He and Chat bicker all the time. At least when he’s not sleeping or eating cheese.” Juleka shook her head, her smile widening.

“Sounds like Plagg,” Tikki said, giggling again. Marinette was still glancing between the two of them, unsure of what to say. She was just opening her mouth when there was knock on the trap door and it began to open. Tikki zoomed back into the purse just before Mrs. Cheng poked her head into the room.

“Hello, girls,” Mrs. Cheng said, a pleasant smile on her face. “I thought you guys might want a snack.” She ascended a little further up the stairs, bringing a plate of cookies into view. Mrs. Cheng was a small woman with thick black hair cut into a neat bob. She smiled at them pleasantly as she came over, setting the plate of cookies down between them on the lounge.

“Thanks, Maman,” Marinette said, reaching out and picking up a cookie. Juleka followed suit, inhaling the scent of chocolate chips wafting off of the fresh cookie, still warm.

“Of course,” Mrs. Cheng said, patting Marinette’s shoulder. “You never seem to be able to get enough cookies, so I thought this time you might share.”

“Maman,” Marinette whined, pouting up at her mother. Mrs. Cheng only laughed, surprising Juleka with a pat on her arm before turning and heading back towards the trap door.

“Just yell if you two need anything,” Mrs. Cheng said, starting down the stairs and closing the trap door behind her. Tikki flew out of the purse again, making a beeline for the cookies, picking one up even though it was bigger than her whole body, and delicately starting to nibble on it.

“I'm guessing Tikki’s the reason you’re always eating cookies?” Juleka asked, taking a bite of her cookie and almost melting inside at the taste, like love and childhood had somehow been stirred into the batter. Both Tikki and Marinette giggled.

“That’s what she prefers to eat,” Marinette said, looking down at her kwami fondly. Juleka watched them with a smile. Juleka had just met Tikki moments earlier, but it was already evident that she and Marinette had a very different relationship from Adrien and Plagg. However, one thing was the same: they obviously cared about one another. It wasn’t surprising. They spent all of their time together, their lives relentlessly intertwined, nothing hidden, nothing spared. Unfathomable magical creatures and tiny human teens came together and fought against an evil, put themselves in danger, again and again. How could they be anything but close?

“I like your room,” Juleka said, ignoring the emotion tightening her chest. Marinette looked up at her, surprised, then around at her room.

“Thanks,” Marinette said brightly. Her grin turned a little embarrassed. “I know it’s a lot of pink.”

“Yeah, but it’s like a classy, controlled pink,” Juleka said, reaching for another cookie. Marinette giggled, raising an eyebrow.

“No one has ever referred to my color scheme as _controlled_ before,” Marinette said.

“They would if they’d seen Rose’s room,” Juleka said, shrugging. “It’s like something’s exploded pink in there. And there’re all of these different shades of pink, every pink you can imagine. Rose’ll do this thing- she’ll find something she likes and she’ll take it home, like a little magpie, and she’ll flit around her room for a while until she finds the perfect place for it in her pinksplosion. It looks like chaos, but everything has a place…” Juleka trailed off, warmth pulling her lips into a smile and putting a blush on her face. She wondered where Rose would place the pink currently splashed across her cheeks.

Marinette’s other eyebrow had inched its way up her forehead.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say so much at once,” Marinette said, grinning. Juleka felt her face heat up from pink to red and ducked her head, letting her bangs slide over her face.

Everyone knew about her relationship with Rose. Juleka spent most of her time looking at Rose and holding Rose’s hand and she’d talked about Rose a little to Adrien and Nathanaël and goodness knows Master Fu had heard about Rose many times. But most of the time, with most people, Rose lived in a safe space Juleka tended in the corner of her brain and she didn’t open the door.

But she’d just spilled Rose all over the place. _Willingly_.

“Sorry, Juleka. I didn’t mean to make fun of you. It just surprised me is all,” Marinette said softly. Juleka didn’t look up at the apology or the slight panic tinging her voice. She did look up at the softness leaking through as she continued. “You care about Rose a lot, huh?”

Juleka peered at Marinette through the dark hair tickling her nose. Her smile was soft, her eyes wide, innocence written in every freckle, kindness playing across her lips. Juleka knew that it was this kindness that had her swinging into danger day after day. And she also knew that Marinette would never walk into that safe corner without permission or with malice in her heart. That she would take off her shoes and compliment the drapes and perch on the edge of the sofa to avoid disturbing what lay there. Juleka could read in Marinette’s eyes that she would understand her safe space, and far from dirtying it, she would make it brighter.

And so Juleka nodded. And she smiled her small, private smile. And Marinette did not know it, but she opened the door.

“I love her,” Juleka said quietly, still looking through her bangs as she offered the words to Marinette. She watched Marinette’s eyes widen, her lips part in a soft oh, her face soften even more.

“That’s wonderful, Juleka,” Marinette said, beaming at her. She fiddled with the cookie in her hands. Juleka smiled back at her.

“What is it with you superheroes? I always end up telling you things,” Juleka said, shaking her head. Marinette and Tikki giggled.

“It’s only fair,” Tikki piped up with a smile. “You know their biggest secret.”

“So it’s a secret exchange?” Juleka asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes,” Marinette said decisively, but her firm nod was slightly marred by her giggle. Juleka chuckled at her, reaching for a third cookie.

“Looks like I’m not the only one who likes cookies,” Tikki said, picking up another cookie for herself.

“Leave me alone,” Juleka said, taking a huge, deliberate bite. “These cookies are awesome.”

“You can take the rest with you if you want, I have plenty,” Marinette said. She pulled out her phone and checked the time. “I actually have to-” Marinette stopped mid-sentence. Juleka looked up at her.

“You okay?” Juleka asked, when Marinette just blinked at her.

“Yeah, I just- I was about to lie to you, but I guess I don’t have to,” Marinette said, giving Juleka a wry smile. “That’s weird.”

“A little, yeah,” Juleka said, nodding.

“I have to go on patrol with Chat, so I’m gonna have to kick you out,” Marinette said, still looking a little disoriented. Juleka nodded and stood, swiping a couple more cookies from the plate as she turned towards the trap door.

“Hey, Jules?” Marinette said, stopping Juleka in her tracks. Juleka turned to meet Marinette’s smile. “Thanks.”

“Yeah,” Juleka said, smiling back. “You too.” Juleka turned and continued on her way out of Marinette’s house.

Mrs. Cheng was moving around the kitchen as Juleka descended the stairs and smiled when she looked up.

“Leaving so soon?” Mrs. Cheng asked with a smile. “Did we scare you off?” Juleka smiled back and shook her head.

“No, I have to go,” Juleka said. “But thank you for the cookies.”

“Of course, Juleka,” Mrs. Cheng said. She wiped off her hands on a towel and headed towards the door, opening it for Juleka. Juleka made to move past her, but before she knew what was happening, she was enveloped in Mrs. Cheng’s arms. Juleka froze, not quite sure what to do, but the hug was over before she could react. “Come back soon, okay?” Juleka nodded, a little dazed, and continued out the door. She exited through the bakery, almost running into Mr. Dupain as he blew out of the kitchen.

“Juleka! Leaving so soon?” Mr. Dupain said in an echo of his wife. Juleka nodded. “Well, I hope this means we’ll see you again soon.” Juleka nodded again and left the bakery, blinking in the late afternoon light.

Juleka walked home in silence, wrapped up in her thoughts, chewing on a cookie.

There were a lot of things Juleka could have been dwelling on as she made her way through the streets of Paris towards her empty apartment. She could have been wondering how Marinette would greet her at school the next morning. She could have been wondering how on earth she was going to be friends with two superheroes that knew she knew their secret identities when they didn’t. She could even have been thinking about how _scared_ Marinette had looked earlier and what exactly she was scared of.

Yet for some reason, the thing Juleka kept returning to was how it took Mrs. Lavillant a full year to hug her.

And whether Rose would like these cookies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Super bros, Super problems.


	16. Dual Wielding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juleka experiences some emotional tug of war.

Juleka needed a game plan. She would have come up with one the night before, but she had forgotten about a mountain of chemistry homework and by the time she’d finished, her brain was too toasted to plan how she was getting to bed much less how to deal with two hormonal disasters masquerading as teenaged superheroes.

Last night, Marinette had left to go on patrol with Chat, which most likely meant that she had told Chat about how Juleka had discovered her identity. Now Adrien could be the most oblivious cupcake of them all, but he wasn’t stupid. He’d put together the implications same as Marinette had. Adrien probably knew now that Juleka knew who Ladybug really was and that she attended their school. Which meant that he was going to be an insufferable, overly-excited mess.Then there was the matter of interacting with both Marinette and Adrien without anyone accidentally saying something revealing. Juleka wasn’t just going to need to watch _her_ mouth. She was also going to need to watch the mouths of the two least subtle teenagers ever to have graced the halls of Collége Françoise Dupont.

Juleka needed a plan.

And probably also some painkillers.

Because the only thing that she was currently coming up with was relief that the three of them didn’t interact all that often and a faint hope for the best.

Juleka couldn’t wait to get to the classroom and sit down next to Rose. Things weren’t complicated with Rose. Rose didn’t come with complicated secrets that she kept _really badly_. Rose wasn’t only her friend because she knew those secrets…

“Hey, Jules!” a voice called. Juleka looked up to see Adrien waiting for her at the bottom of the front stairs. He smiled at her, wide and open and seemingly uncomplicated, but already Juleka’s brain was shifting into action.

“Hey, Adrien,” Juleka said, starting up the stairs as she drew even with him. “How are you?”

“I’m good,” Adrien said. Juleka looked at him. He sounded normal. Happy, yes, but just as happy as he always sounded. Not ecstatic. Not brimming over with barely contained curiosity or joy. Just happy. “How are _you_?”

“Good,” Juleka said, still watching Adrien’s face. “You seem…calm.” Adrien looked at her, one eyebrow quirking up.

“Yeah,” Adrien said slowly. “Why shouldn’t I be?”

Okay, either Adrien had gotten a lot better at acting, or…

“You went on patrol last night, right?” Juleka asked cautiously. Adrien’s face broke into a smile.

“Yeah, it was awesome,” Adrien said happily. Then his smile faded and his eyebrow rose again. “But how-”

“Jules!” a voice cried. Juleka barely contained her flinch as her worst nightmare walked up to them just inside the doors. “Oh, h-hey Adrien,” Marinette managed as she came to stand before them, smiling shyly at both Adrien and Juleka.

“Hey, Marinette,” Adrien said, a friendly smile spreading across his face. “I see you took up my nickname for Jules.”

“Oh, yeah,” Marinette said, her cheeks turning pink. “I, uh, I just really liked it so…”

“We should get to class,” Juleka said quickly, starting towards the stairs to the second floor. She felt Adrien fall in step on one side of her and Marinette catch up on the other and did her best to hold off on the sighs. Her “plan” was already in ruins.

Juleka was sandwiched between the two biggest secrets she’d ever had to keep.

“Did you finish the chemistry homework?” Adrien asked, after a sufficient amount of awkward silence had passed.

“Did it all last night,” Juleka said, shaking her head at every part of her life. “Think I’d know better by now than to procrastinate that much on chemistry.”

“What about you, Marinette?” Adrien asked, leaning around Juleka to look at her.

“I actually did it early this time,” Marinette said quietly, her hands nervously clutching her backpack. “I didn’t have time to do it last night.” They reached the stairs and Juleka gently nudged Adrien to walk up first. Because according to the absurd rules of her life, she already knew what Adrien was about to say in response…

“What did you have to do last night?” Adrien asked, briefly glancing over his shoulder at Marinette before turning his attention back to the stairs. Luckily, since he was in front of them (thanks to Juleka), he didn’t see Marinette turn bright red, her definitely-innocent-what-are-you-talking-about grin spreading across her face.

“Oh, uh, you know, just, uh,” Marinette said, her voice a smidge too high.

“You were sewing, right?” Juleka asked, trying to keep her voice as nonchalant as she could while also diverting a disaster.

“Yes!” Marinette blurted, throwing Juleka a grateful look right before Adrien glanced back again at the top of the stairs.

“What were you sewing?” Adrien asked, that friendly smile still fixed on his face. Juleka once again suppressed a sigh.

“I’ve been working on a dress for this girl I babysit,” Marinette said, her voice still too high, but at least free of stuttering. The three started down the hall, Juleka once again walking between two ticking time bombs.

“That’s cool,” Adrien said. “You make some really awesome stuff, Marinette.” Juleka didn’t even need to look at Marinette to feel her go gooey next to her.

“Thanks, Adrien,” Marinette said, her voice dreamy. “You’re hot stuff too- I mean awesome stuff! I mean-”

“Oh, look. We’re here at the classroom,” Juleka said, walking ahead of her two friends into the room, steadfastly ignoring Marinette’s red face and Adrien’s bemused expression.

Nino and Alya, standing close together by Alya’s seat, didn’t seem to notice that their best friends had walked into the classroom with Juleka, but others certainly had. Chloe glared at them, her eyes flicking between the three of them with a stormy expression, before deliberately turning away. Alix narrowed her eyes at them before turning and having a hushed conference with Kim and Max. And Rose was looking at them with her head tilted like it always was when she was confused. However, when she caught Juleka’s eye, she beamed at her, lifting one hand in a cheery wave. Juleka smiled back, starting towards the stairs and the relatively safe space by her girlfriend’s side.

“Later, Jules,” Adrien said, waving at her as he took his seat.

“Bye, Jules,” Marinette said, finally coming back to earth after Adrien’s compliment to also give her a wave. Juleka waved back at both of them and continued on her way up the stairs. Rose’s eyebrows were raised when Juleka sat down, but her surprise dissolved into a smile when Juleka swooped down and brushed her lips against Rose’s cheek.

“Juleka,” Rose said happily, settling her hand into place against Juleka’s. “Good morning.”

“Hey, Rose,” Juleka said, her lips curving into a smile. “I missed you.” Rose giggled at that, a delicate blush leaking into her cheeks.

“You saw me yesterday.”

“Yeah.” Juleka shrugged. “And I missed you.” Rose’s smile widened and she ducked her head, peering up at Juleka through her lashes.

“I missed you too,” Rose said quietly. Then her head popped up. “Guess what Lucas said last night.”

“That he wishes I was his sister?” Juleka asked, bumping her shoulder against Rose’s with a smile. Rose forced her lips into a pout for a moment, but her smile soon popped up again.

“No. Well, he’s said something like that before, but that wasn’t what he said last night,” Rose said. “You know how he’s been dating Amelie, that girl from his class? Last night Lucas informed us that Amelie was no longer his girlfriend.”

“Oh, really?” Juleka asked, more as a formality than because Rose actually needed a response.

“Really,” Rose said, grinning from ear to ear now. “Guess what he said she is now.”

“What?”

“His fiancé!” Rose giggled. Juleka grinned down at her, tucking the sound of her laugh into the back of her mind for safekeeping. “He quite solemnly requested that Maman prepare for the wedding.”

“I guess you’re getting a new sister, then,” Juleka said, chuckling. “Have you met your future in-law yet?”

“Oh yes, she came over after school last week and stayed for game night,” Rose said. “She was adorable, Juleka. So sweet and nice. And she fit in so perfectly.” Juleka looked away, getting her tablet out of her bag.

“I look forward to Lucas’s wedding,” Juleka said when she turned back to Rose, regretting the crease that had appeared between her eyebrows. “Tell him I’d be happy to be a groomsman.” Rose relaxed into a smile giggled again.

“Tell him yourself,” Rose said, nudging Juleka with her elbow. “You’re coming over after school today, right?” Juleka nodded, smiling fondly down at the girl leaning into her side, warming her through with just a smile. She could still catch glimpses of Marinette and Adrien out of the corner of her eye, but Rose was what mattered now.

“Alright class, let’s begin,” Ms. Bustier said, drawing Juleka’s attention away from Rose and to the board.

Mostly.

 

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Juleka had sort of assumed that the extraordinarily awkward circumstance that was her conversation with Marinette and Adrien that morning would be the end of that particular stress until she had to walk into school again the next day.

In hindsight, Juleka had no idea why she thought things were going to be that easy.

Because Marinette and Adrien did not know the definition of easy.

The bell signaling the end of first period had barely rung before Adrien was standing by their table.

“Hey, Rose,” Adrien said, offering a brief smile to Rose before turning to Juleka. “Jules, you said you were worried about the physics quiz today, right?” Juleka stared at him for a moment before nodding warily. “Mr. D’Argencourt generally doesn’t mind if I miss PE since I have classes with him after school, so I could help you during study hall if you’d like.” Juleka stared at him for a moment more before shrugging.

“Sure, if you don’t mind,” Juleka said, reluctantly letting go of Rose’s hand to slide her tablet into her bag.

“Cool, I’ll meet you in the library in a couple minutes,” Adrien said, throwing one last smile over his shoulder before starting back down the stairs.

“That was nice of him,” Rose said, looking after him. Juleka slipped her fingers back through Rose’s and started down the stairs. Rose sighed. “I could use some help with physics, but I can’t miss any more PE. Ms. Pavlova has been getting onto us about exercise in ballet class.”

“I’ll pass on Adrien’s wisdom after school,” Juleka promised, releasing Rose’s hand once they exited the classroom and parted ways. She watched Rose float away for a moment before turning to head to the library.

And almost running straight into Marinette.

“Oh my god, sorry Jules,” Marinette, stepping back quickly. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”

“You’re good,” Juleka said. She moved around Marinette and resumed her walk to the library, Marinette falling into step beside her.

“Do you want to work on that French paper with me?” Marinette asked, a hopeful smile spreading across her face. “Alya has to take care of something for the school newspaper today, so it’s just me.”

“Actually, I’m studying physics with Adrien,” Juleka said, watching as Marinette’s face immediately turned a little pink.

“A-Adrien?” Marinette squeaked. She swallowed hard, turning her face forwards. Juleka could see her thinking, saw her come to a decision and set her shoulders. She turned back to Juleka with determination in her eyes. “Would it be okay if I joined you guys?”

“Um,” Juleka started, already envisioning the awkwardest class period of her life.

“There you are, Jules,” Adrien said, jogging up the stairs towards them, that friendly smile plastered all over his face.

“Here I am,” Juleka muttered. She glanced at Marinette, her face already frozen in her awkward grin, and sighed. “Would it be okay if Marinette studied with us?”

“Oh.” Adrien glanced between Juleka and Marinette, a series of emotions passing across his face that Juleka couldn’t quite interpret. There was confusion, the normal polite happiness, a flash of excitement that made absolutely no sense, and a touch of disappointment. He settled on the politeness, smiling at them both as he answered, “Yeah, that’s fine with me.”

Of course that was fine with him. Of _course_.

Juleka led the way to the library, once again bracketed by two of the weirdest friendships she’d ever had that were actually weird for the same exact reason and yet were so far apart from one another that Juleka couldn’t even imagine what would happen if they touched. As they were currently attempting to do.

“Mr. D’Argencourt agreed to let me go for most of the period since we’re working on fencing in class right now, but he wants me back at the end for a demonstration,” Adrien said, quickening his step to hold open the door for them. Marinette muttered a thanks as she passed him. Juleka couldn’t see her face, but the tips of her ears were bright pink.

As they all sat down at the table, taking out their tablets and their physics books, Juleka steeled herself for a lot of stuttering, awkwardness, tense silences, and weird looks.

What she got was surprisingly different.

“Adrien, I just don’t understand what I’m doing wrong here,” Marinette sighed, slumping down in her chair with a pout.

“You double checked that you were plugging in the variables correctly, right?” Adrien said, leaning close to Marinette to look at her work.

“Twice!” Marinette cried. Someone at another table hissed a loud _shhh_ and Marinette smiled apologetically. “I double checked the variables. I double checked my equations. I double checked everything! And I still got it wrong.”

“Okay, Marinette, calm down,” Adrien said, placing a hand on Marinette’s shoulder. Marinette took a deep breath, looking up at Adrien with only the slightest trace of a blush. “Let me look at your work, we’ll figure this out.”

Marinette was relaxed. Marinette was _fine_. Marinette was forming complete sentences that were in the right order and made sense and everything.

When Juleka thought about it, she guessed she shouldn’t be quite so surprised. Marinette and Adrien weren’t best friends or anything, but they still ended up spending time together relatively often. Partially because they were both front-of-the-class people and thus accidentally ended up in the same conversations all the time, partially because they were both friends with Nino, and partially because Marinette and Alya the best friend/matchmaker were both dedicated to securing time with Adrien. They’d had to spend time together during the gaming tournament. They’d somehow ended up hanging out when Marinette’s uncle went on that cooking show. Heck, they’d talked during Juleka’s photo shoot.

Juleka spent a lot of time watching Marinette and Adrien and yet they still managed to blindside her at the weirdest times. There were things about them, about their relationship, that Juleka didn’t catch. Of course, she more than made up for that by knowing more about their relationship than they themselves knew so she guessed it was more or less fair.

You know what _wasn’t_ fair?

The fact that Juleka was sitting there staring at two of her closest friends (okay, when the heck had _that_ happened?) and she couldn’t even ask them the questions that she wanted to ask.

Why was Adrien so calm when he should know by now that Ladybug was at his school? Why was _Marinette_ so calm when she had just discovered that _Chat Noir_ was at her school? What had happened on patrol the night before? Why had Adrien looked both excited and disappointed at the prospect of studying with Marinette? What was up with Marinette’s big, fat crush on Adrien? Did Tikki and Plagg even know that they were within a foot of one another at this very moment? How did Marinette and Adrien not know that they were currently talking to their best superhero buddy? How???

Juleka wondered just how much of this she could take before descending into madness.

“Jules?” Marinette’s voice pulled Juleka back to the task at hand.

“Sorry, what?” Juleka asked, shaking her head to dislodge the questions still flooding her mind.

“You okay?” Adrien asked, his eyebrows furrowed with concern.

“You were staring at us,” Marinette said, her worried expression nearly identical to Adrien’s.

“Pretty hard,” Adrien said.

“I’m fine. Just thinking,” Juleka said, sitting forward. “Are we done with the study packet?”

“Not quite, but I have to go,” Adrien said, standing up as he started to pack up his things.

“Thanks for the help,” Marinette said, staring forlornly at her open textbook. “I’m still doomed, but thanks for trying.” Adrien laughed, briefly touching Marinette’s shoulder.

“You’ll be fine,” Adrien said. Marinette looked up at him, her blush returning with a vengeance. Adrien looked over at Juleka, apparently completely unaware of the effect he was having on Marinette’s blood flow. “Later, Jules.”

“Later, Adrien,” Juleka said, shaking her head at his retreating back. When she looked over at Marinette, she was still looking after him, her expression approaching Rose levels of dreaminess.

Eventually Marinette returned to the world of the living and looked back at Juleka to find her watching. “What?” she asked, her cheeks betraying her.

“You’ve got it so bad,” Juleka said, one corner of her mouth quirked up in amusement.

“What? No, I don’t,” Marinette said quickly, looking down at her textbook and nervously flipping pages.

“Seriously?” Juleka asked. “It’s not like you’re subtle.”

“What?” Marinette squeaked, her gaze snapping back up to Juleka.

“Marinette, you’ve got pictures of his face all over your room.”

“That- that’s-”

“A crush. That’s a crush.”

“Fine,” Marinette sighed, thumping her forehead down onto her textbook. “I’ve got a huge, hopeless crush on Adrien Agreste. Happy?”

“Yeah,” Juleka said, smiling at the top of Marinette’s head. Marinette lifted it so that she could glare at Juleka.

“Can we talk about something else now?” Marinette asked plaintively.

“Sure,” Juleka said. She pounced on the opportunity she’d been waiting for all morning. “How’d patrol go last night?” Marinette sat up, her eyes darting around to see if anyone was within ear shot, her hands playing with the pages of the textbook.

“It’s so weird that I can talk to you about these things,” Marinette said after a moment of hesitation.

“Yup,” Juleka said. She watched Marinette, waiting for her to answer the question.

“It was good,” Marinette said, shrugging. “Pretty normal as far as patrols go. I don’t really know why we do them; we hardly ever find an akuma. But it’s nice to actually be able to talk to Chat rather than fighting and dashing like we normally do. Sometimes we stop to talk to fans or the press, but we rarely get to talk to each other; not _really_.” Marinette’s face turned warm, her lips rising in a smile as she thought, presumably remembering patrols she’d had with Chat.

“So, you talked to Chat last night,” Juleka said.

 Marinette looked back at Juleka, one eyebrow rising. “Yeah, why?”

“Did you tell him about me?” Juleka asked. Marinette tensed.

“No,” she admitted. Her nose scrunched up as her eyes darted away and back. “I feel like I should since Chat told _me_ when it happened, but then he’d know that we go to school together and I don’t- I don’t even know how I feel about _that_ yet and every boy I see I can’t help but wonder if it’s _him_ , you know, and I just-” Marinette’s rant stopped abruptly and she sighed, looking up at Juleka with wide eyes. “We’re not supposed to _know_ , Jules.” She looked sad. Lost, almost. Distressed. She had been covering much better than Juleka had thought possible if she hadn’t picked up on this anxiety all morning.

“Why not?” Juleka asked. Marinette blinked at her.

“No one is supposed to know. That includes us,” Marinette said as if it were obvious.

“ _I_ know,” Juleka said.

“But that was an accident,” Marinette said, frowning.

“Maybe. But I know and the world isn’t ending,” Juleka said.

“But-”

Whatever protest Marinette was about to offer was cut off by the bell signaling the end of the period. Marinette sighed and started to pack up her things.

“Talk about this later?” Juleka asked. She still had a lot of questions swirling in her mind and Marinette still looked so disquieted, but they couldn’t have this conversation now. Marinette regarded her for a moment, her hesitation plain on her face.

“Yeah,” Marinette said, nodding decisively. “Later.”

“Tell Tikki I said hi,” Juleka said, preceding Marinette out of the library. She heard a giggle behind her, but she wasn’t sure it came from Marinette.

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The rest of the school day proceeded in much the same way. Adrien, Marinette, or both always seemed to be around the corner, waiting with a “Hey, Jules” and a friendly smile. It was a little strange. Juleka had only just gotten used to Adrien being her friend and seeking her out. Marinette doing the same made it ten times weirder because now they double teamed her without even meaning to. Nobody had commented so far, probably due to the fact that there was no tactful way to ask why someone was being nice. But Juleka knew that Rose, at least, was curious.

The final bell was a relief. After school meant Rose’s house and Rose’s house meant no well-meaning superheroes hanging around just _waiting_ to let something slip. But more than that, Rose’s house meant Rose. Juleka sighed (the first happy sigh of the day) when she found Rose waiting outside of the art room. Rose grabbed her hand and pulled her down the hall, giggling at something she’d said and excited to get home and see what Lucas had to say and work on physics and be together without other people. Juleka was excited too.

“Hey, Jules,” Adrien said, stepping out of a classroom with a smile spreading across his face. Rose reluctantly slowed to a stop, glancing between Adrien and Juleka, but keeping a tight hold on Juleka’s hand. “For once I don’t have anything after school. Want to come hang out?” Juleka felt Rose’s hand tighten around hers. Adrien turned his smile to Rose. “You can come too, Rose. If you want.” Juleka looked at Rose, her face open and friendly, but her hand still holding Juleka’s just a little too tight.

“Sorry, Adrien,” Juleka said, looking back at him. “I’m hanging out at Rose’s today.” Rose’s hand loosened a little and Juleka looked down to see Rose beaming at her.

“Okay, Jules,” Adrien said. His shoulders had slumped a little, but he was still smiling. “Maybe we can hang out some other time?”

“Yup,” Juleka said, turning and squeezing Rose’s hand as she took the lead out of the classroom. They got all the way to the bottom of the stairs before Marinette found them.

“Jules! Rose! Wait up!” Marinette called, running across the courtyard towards them. She stopped in front of them, pausing a moment to catch her breath before grinning at them. “Do you want to come hang out at my place? Papa accidentally made too many croissants for the morning rush, so he said we could have some. And you can come too, Rose.”

“Hanging out at Rose’s,” Juleka said immediately, squeezing Rose’s hand before it could tighten. “Another time?”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Marinette said cheerfully. “Bye guys.” She waved to both Juleka and Rose before running across the courtyard again to intercept Alya. “Alya! Wait up!”

Juleka started walking again, pulling Rose for a couple of steps before she caught up to walk beside her. Rose stayed silent for a while and Juleka let her. She was obviously thinking about something and she would share when she was ready. They were halfway to Rose’s house before she spoke up.

“You know you could have gone, right?” Rose asked quietly as they waited at a stoplight. Juleka looked down at her in surprise.

“With Adrien or Marinette?” Juleka asked. Rose looked up at her with her wide eyes and nodded. “But I’m going home with you.”

“Yes, but you could have gone with them if you wanted,” Rose said. “You didn’t have to come home with me.”

“I know that,” Juleka said. “But I wanted to.” Rose continued to look at her for a moment before her lips curved into a smile.

“Okay,” Rose said, her voice significantly more cheerful. “I just wanted to make sure you knew you had a choice.” The light changed and they crossed the street. Juleka nodded, because she did know, but she also knew it didn’t really matter.

Rose would be her choice every time.

“So, how’s your mom’s aphid problem been going?” Juleka asked.

“Oh,” Rose gasped, her free hand curling under her chin. “The aphids are all but gone. Maman’s really pleased. Those ladybugs worked like a charm.” Juleka chuckled to herself as Rose continued to babble the rest of the way home.

Rose let go of Juleka’s hand when she opened the door to the house.

“Maman, we’re home!” Rose called, stepping aside to let Juleka walk past her.

“Hello!” Mrs. Lavillant called back, poking her head out of the kitchen to wave.

“Hello, Mrs. Lavillant,” Juleka said, waving back.

“Juleka!” Lucas cried, launching himself off of the couch and attaching himself to Juleka’s waist. “You haven’t been here in forever.”

“Yes, I have,” Juleka said, chuckling. “I was here the other day.”

“Yeah, that was forever ago,” Lucas said, pouting up at her. Rose giggled as she pried her little brother off of her girlfriend.

“I hear that you’re engaged,” Juleka said, kneeling down so that she didn’t tower over him.

“Yeah! Amelie and I decided it was time to get married,” Lucas replied solemnly.

“I see. I trust I’ll be one of your groomsmen,” Juleka said, fighting to keep her lips from twitching.

“But you’re a girl,” Lucas said, tilting his head so that his blonde hair flopped into his eyes.

“So?”

“Maman and Papa say that girls have to be bridesmaids.”

“But I’m I friend, not Amelie’s.” 

Lucas looked skeptical, chewing on his lip as he peered up at Juleka. “I’ll see what I can do, but you know Papa,” Lucas said, lowering his voice. “He’s a stickler for the rules.”

“Okay, Lucas,” Juleka said. “Let me know so that I can find a tux.”

“Okay,” Lucas said, cheerful once more. “I’d much rather have you than Amelie’s cousin Alfred, anyways.” Juleka finally let loose a chuckle, ruffling Lucas’s hair as she straightened up and started towards Rose’s room where Rose was standing with one hand pressed to her mouth and her eyes dancing.

“Good to know that I’m better than Cousin Alfred,” Juleka said, giving Rose a wink. The two of them managed to make it into Rose’s bedroom and get the door closed before they started laughing.

“Oh my goodness,” Rose gasped, wiping tears from her eyes.

“I’m not sure it’s legal for your brother to be so cute, Rose,” Juleka said, shaking her head as her chuckles died away.

“You should hear him and Amelie talk about it,” Rose giggled. “Cutest thing I’ve ever seen! And I have seen _a lot_ of puppies.”

“It’s going to be the wedding of the century,” Juleka said. She flopped down on the bed with a quiet groan. Rose sat down next to her, gently burying her fingers in her hair. Juleka allowed her eyes to close, focusing on Rose’s nails against her scalp, her fingers sliding through her hair.

“You seem tired,” Rose said quietly from somewhere above her. Juleka felt Rose shift and then her thigh was warm against Juleka’s arm. Juleka sighed a little and nodded. “Why?”

“Long day,” Juleka murmured. Rose giggled softly.

“Why?” Rose asked, her voice slightly higher than normal. Juleka could hear the smile in her voice.

“Because,” Juleka said, a smile pulling at her own lips.

“Because why?” Rose asked, giggling again. Juleka’s eyes slid open. Rose was right there above her, looking down at her with a soft smile and bright eyes. Those eyes. Juleka could never get enough of those eyes. She sighed.

Juleka wanted to tell her. She wanted to complain about how she had been playing friend hockey all day. About oblivious superheroes and all of the questions that were going unanswered in her mind when it should be easy to get them answered and the stress it had caused trying to keep one secret that was actually hundreds of little secrets when the people who owned the secrets were so terrible at keeping them and seemed to be determined to spend time with the people most likely to crack them. Juleka wanted to let words tumble out of her mouth and into Rose’s ears until there were no words left and Juleka could be light again because that was what Rose did for her.

But she couldn’t.

Because Juleka had to keep these secrets from _everyone_.

But there were some things that Juleka _could_ say. Not the whole truth. Really only a tiny part of it. But _something_.

“For some reason that I cannot fathom," Juleka said slowly, "Marinette and Adrien have decided that they want to be friends with me.” It was mostly true. Juleka really couldn’t understand why they seemed to be so set on talking to her at every opportunity.

Rose’s face may have been upside down, but Juleka could still see the wide smile spread across it.

“That’s wonderful, Juleka!” Rose said happily. Her fingers paused their movement and Rose leaned down to press a kiss to Juleka’s forehead.

“It is?” Juleka asked skeptically.

“Yes! They can see what a wonderful person you are same as I can,” Rose said. “I’m glad. You deserve to have friends and be happy.”

“Thanks, Rose,” Juleka said, smiling up at her girlfriend, warmth taking over her chest. Then she frowned. “But I feel like a piece of meat that two dogs are gnawing on at the same time,” Juleka complained. Rose giggled, her fingers resuming their path through Juleka’s hair.

“That’s just because you’re not used to having a bunch of close friends,” Rose said.

“I guess,” Juleka said. “So, it’ll get easier?” Rose was quiet for a moment, looking down at Juleka.

“Yes,” Rose said. “You guys will get closer and it’ll stop feeling so weird and it’ll be easier.”

“I want it to stop being weird _now_ ,” Juleka murmured. Rose giggled quietly.

“You’ll get there,” Rose said. She leaned forward, catching Juleka’s eye. “I’m proud of you, you know. For making friends. For letting them see how beautiful you are inside.” Juleka smiled up at her, the warmth in her chest leaking through her limbs.

“Thanks, Rose,” Juleka said. Rose flashed a grin at her, then leaned back. They were silent for a moment, the sound of their breathing filling the room. Juleka could feel Rose’s warmth at her side, her fingers stroking her hair. Her eyes drifted closed again. She never wanted to move.

“Hey, Juleka?” Rose asked quietly.

“Hm?”

“You, uh…” Rose started, her voice edged with nervousness. Juleka opened her eyes, craning her neck a little when she couldn’t find Rose’s face. Rose shifted uneasily in her spot when Juleka’s eyes found her. She shook her head quickly. “Nothing.”

“Rose.” Juleka continued to look at Rose from her strange upside down position. Rose shook her head again.

“It’s nothing,” Rose said. Juleka hummed disapprovingly and sat up, Rose’s fingers slipping out of her hair as she turned to face her.

“Tell me,” Juleka said, scooting forward so that she sat cross legged next to Rose.

“Juleka-” Rose started, her shoulders inching up as she looked down at her hands.

“Rose,” Juleka interrupted gently, taking one of Rose’s hands in hers so that she’d stop fiddling with them. Her other hand drifted up to Rose’s chin, firmly turning her head to make her meet her eyes. “Tell me.” Rose looked at her for a long moment, her blue eyes flicking between Juleka’s, searching for something. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“Don’t…don’t leave me behind, okay?” Rose said, her voice so quiet it was almost a whisper. Juleka stared at her.

“Leave you behind?” Juleka asked, hardly able to believe that that had left Rose's mouth, but Rose nodded slightly, her eyes somehow growing wider, tears collecting in the corners.

“When it stops being weird and you get closer to them and they become your friends…I’m so happy for you, I really am, just…don’t leave me behind. Please.” Rose's eyes fell to the side even though Juleka’s hand held her chin in place. A tear fell, streaking down her cheek and soaking into Juleka’s glove.

Juleka knew that she should find words. She should tell Rose all of the reasons that that was impossible. She should tell Rose about how any room Rose is in becomes home for her, even though she’s never had a home before. She should tell Rose about how she’s afraid that one day her heart is going to give up on the whole beating thing because Rose makes it go too fast. She should tell Rose about the completely obvious flowers that seemed to be spreading across her room, pushing everything else aside because there was only one thing on her mind those days. She should tell Rose that she loved her over and over and over until it’s carved into her skull and she couldn’t help but believe it. She should hold Rose close as she told her and refuse to let go just to show how ridiculous it was to think that she could ever leave.

But Juleka’s brain couldn’t create any words because it was too busy flinching away from the idea of leaving. Her whole body, every single cell, was rejecting the possibility; it was so impossible that it hurt to even think about.

Rose was everything.

Did she not see that?

She needed to see that; she needed to know. She needed to know that she was everything, _everything_.

Juleka couldn’t find a way to open her mouth and let words pour out- she’d practiced being silent too long- so instead she brushed her fingers up Rose’s cheeks (was she trembling?) and held Rose’s face as gently as she could because she couldn’t stand the thought of hurting her. Juleka rested her forehead against Rose’s and tried so hard to communicate the only way she could that she would never leave, could never leave. She stared into Rose’s eyes from centimeters away and held her face with gentle hands (were they shaking?) and whispered the one word that her mind could offer.

“Never.”

Her voice came out hoarse but she didn’t care, couldn’t care, because Rose was trembling and she was scared that one day Juleka would just walk away and Juleka wasn’t about to let her stay that way.

“ _Never_.”

Juleka wasn’t sure if she was the one who leaned forward or if Rose was but suddenly there wasn’t any space between them at all and Juleka knew what it felt like to kiss her.

Rose was still shaking, or Juleka was still shaking, or maybe it was both of them, but it didn’t matter, because Rose’s lips were so, so soft and all of her was warm, especially her cheeks, even though she still had tears running down them, those were warm too. If Rose was everything, then kissing her was nothing, everything else dissolving until all that existed was lips and shaking fingers tentatively touching Juleka's ribs, then twisting into fabric. Kissing Rose was contemplating if she _really_ needed to breathe because suffocating might just be better than letting this moment end. Kissing Rose was a pair of blue eyes slowly opening once Juleka finally realized that _hey if I die now I’ll never get to kiss Rose again_ and pulled away to gasp at the same air Rose was breathing. Kissing Rose was deciding that those eyes were almost as amazing as those lips, both of them soft and both of them lovely.

Juleka wasn’t shaking anymore and neither was Rose and Juleka wasn’t quite sure when they’d stopped. But Rose was smiling again and she didn’t look scared anymore and she held onto one of Juleka’s wrists like she was never going to let go and that was fine with Juleka.

That was all she ever wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: everybody has their secrets...


	17. Overkill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juleka tells Master Fu a story.

Juleka breathed out, her breath flowing past her lips in a long, tired sigh, as she pushed open Master Fu’s gate. She wasn’t surprised to find him already sitting at the little iron table, teacup in hand despite the cold. However, she was surprised to see a second teacup sitting on the tray, empty, but ready to be filled, and a blanket covering the second chair to ward against the icy metal. She sighed again as Master Fu smiled at her, but dug up a slow smile to give in return.

“Juleka,” Master Fu said warmly, setting his teacup down in its saucer.

“Hello, Master Fu,” Juleka said, dropping down into the empty chair, relief rushing through her.

“You look tired,” Master Fu said, carefully filling the waiting teacup and handing it to Juleka. “And you also look hungry. I will go get you food.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Juleka protested, sitting forward as Master Fu rose from his seat. He waved his hand at Juleka, fixing her with a stern gaze.

“You’re right. I don’t have to. I _want_ to,” Master Fu said, smiling at Juleka once more. “You stay here and relax so that you can tell me your story when I get back.” He turned and stepped past the glass doors, a hint of a whistle escaping before the door closed behind him.

Juleka chuckled to herself, absently stroking the porcelain in her hands. Of course Master Fu knew she had a story. Juleka supposed that it was obvious. How could it not be with all that had happened that morning? She probably had the story written all over her face. Juleka sat back in her seat, drawing in a deep breath, letting the stress of the past twenty-four hours leave her as she exhaled. She was safe now in Master Fu’s garden. She would tell him her story and he would help her and she would be better.

It wasn’t long before Master Fu returned bearing a steaming bowl full of rice and chicken.

“Leftovers from my own lunch,” Master Fu said, setting the bowl down in front of Juleka. He paused to give her a large wink. “So, I know it’s good.” Master Fu laughed and Juleka chuckled. Juleka’s stomach rumbled as it caught a whiff of the food. She exchanged her teacup for the bowl and chopsticks as Master Fu settled back in his seat. He picked up his cup, content for the moment to let Juleka put some food in her belly.

“So,” Master Fu said after she had taken a few bites, raising an eyebrow.

“So,” Juleka said. She sat back in her chair, setting the bowl down. She took a moment to try and put her thoughts in order. She’d need it to tell this particular story without giving everything away. “This…I’m not quite sure where to start,” Juleka said, sighing at the sheer complexity of what had happened.

“The beginning is usually a good place,” Master Fu said with a solemn nod of his head. He sipped his tea innocently when Juleka glared at him, but she could see the crinkle of his eyes.

“The beginning isn’t that cut and dry,” Juleka said, shaking her head at him. She paused to consider for another moment before beginning, choosing her words carefully. “I guess it began last night,” Juleka said slowly. “I have these friends at school. I know some secrets about them that no one else knows and now they’ve kinda decided that I’m their therapist…”

 

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**Twenty Hours Earlier**

“Jules.”

“Marinette.”

Juleka and Marinette sat cross legged on Marinette’s loft bed, a plate of cookies (snickerdoodles this time, _to die for_ ) and a slightly alarmed Tikki resting on the bed between them. Marinette was doing her best to measure up to Juleka’s stare, but Juleka had years of practice in stone-cold silence and she could see Marinette beginning to crack. Her eyebrow twitched. She shifted just slightly in place. Juleka simply kept looking, allowing her face to remain coldly impassive as she stared into Marinette’s eyes, watching them slowly grow wider and wider.

Not even a minute passed before Marinette wilted, slumping against her pillows, her head thrown back.

“Come on,” Marinette whined. Juleka heard Tikki’s quiet giggle and held up a fist. Tikki flew over to gently tap it.

“You first,” Juleka said. Marinette’s head flew up, eyes narrowing slightly when she saw Tikki innocently settling back on the plate with the cookies.

“Juuuuules,” Marinette complained, sticking out her bottom lip pitifully.

“I refuse to tell you about my relationship until you tell me about yours,” Juleka said, crossing her arms over her chest. “Fair is fair.”

“Chat Noir and I aren’t in a relationship,” Marinette said, her nose wrinkling as she sat up.

“A friendship is a relationship, Marinette,” Tikki helpfully reminded her. Marinette threw her a glare before sighing and looking back at Juleka.

“I’m not going to get out of this, am I?” Marinette asked, defeat written all over her face. Juleka and Tikki both shook their heads. Marinette heaved another sigh. “What was the question again?”

“Why have you still not told Chat about me?” Juleka asked. She cringed a little inside. There wasn’t really a good way to ask, but that particular phrasing of the question made her feel like she was cheating or something, like Juleka was _the other woman_ , which was ridiculous because in this situation that would mean that Chat was _also_ cheating with Juleka which…

Juleka really needed to stop thinking about this metaphor.

“We’ve been over this, Jules. No one is supposed to know our identities,” Marinette said, picking up a cookie and turning it over in her hands, resolutely not looking at Juleka.

“Yes, but-”

“It’s one of the first rules Tikki told me,” Marinette said.

“Once I got you to stop screaming,” Tikki said cheerfully.

“Yes, Tikki, one of the first rules you told me once you got me to stop screaming,” Marinette sighed, breaking her cookie in half and stuffing one half into her mouth.

“But-” Juleka started.

“Marinette!” Mrs. Cheng called, her voice muffled through the trapdoor. “Can you come down here for a moment!” Marinette sighed, her face screwing up in annoyance as she hastily swallowed her mouthful of cookie.

“Be right there, Maman!” Marinette yelled back, moving to clamber down the ladder. “I’ll be right back, Jules.” Juleka nodded, watching Marinette disappear past the trapdoor. She turned to Tikki to find her already looking back, her normally cheerful eyes seriously regarding her.

“The first rule?” Juleka asked, one eyebrow rising. Tikki sighed, floating up so that she was at eye level with Juleka.

“It _is_ one of the first things I told her,” Tikki admitted. “But we always do that in the beginning when the chosen are a little overly excited. It’s not a ban that’s meant to last forever and it’s not meant to include other holders. Not after they’ve proved themselves capable and trustworthy.”

“Have you told her that?” Juleka asked. She raised a hand for Tikki to rest on. The little kwami settled in her palm, her strange skin cool and soft. Tikki sighed.

“I have. Several times,” Tikki said sadly. “She’s not keeping the secret because she has to, no matter what she says.” Tikki looked up at her, her eyes wide. She wasn’t human, but she was still easy to read somehow. Juleka could see the concern on her face plain as day.

“She’s scared, isn’t she?” Juleka asked. Tikki’s eyes widened. Then she nodded.

“I think so,” Tikki said. Her antennas drooped as she looked down. Her little chest rose and fell as she sighed. “Knowing Chat could be so helpful, if she could just…” Tikki’s voice trailed off, leaving the thought dangling between them.

“Do you know who he is?” Juleka asked. Tikki looked up, her normal smile stretching across her face.

“Not for sure,” Tikki said slyly. “But I have some guesses.”

“You can’t feel a disturbance in the force when Plagg is near?” Juleka asked, her own smile spreading. Tikki giggled, floating off of Juleka’s palm to zip back down to the plate.

“I’m not a kwami homing device,” Tikki said, still giggling at the idea as she started picking over the cookies for her next victim. She sighed quietly as she dragged a snickerdoodle to the edge of the plate. "Some kwamis can actually sense other kwamis, but I'm not one of them." Tikki paused, examining her cookie intently, her antennas drooping slightly. "I wish I could. I miss the stupid cat sometimes..."

"You and Plagg are close?" Juleka asked softly.

Tikki looked up at Juleka with a sad smile. She nodded, a flash of humor glinting in her eyes. "Very."

Juleka opened her mouth to ask just what Tikki meant by that, but just then, the trapdoor opened and Marinette climbed into the room, kicking the door closed behind her. She clambered back onto the bed, smiling innocently at Juleka in a manner that broadcasted her mischievous intentions. Not quite the everything-I-say-is-a-lie smile, but a close cousin.

“I believe it is now your turn to talk,” Marinette said. Juleka and Tikki made eye contact, shaking their heads. “What?” Marinette demanded when two very unimpressed gazes returned to her face.

“You didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know,” Juleka said, raising her eyebrow at Marinette.

“What more is there to know?” Marinette asked, crossing her arms and leaning back against the pillows, her bottom lip threatening to stretch into a pout.

“Marinette.”

“Whaaat?”

“Why are you scared?” Juleka asked softly. Marinette froze mid eye roll, her imminent pout dissolving into surprise. Her crossed arms became less defensive, more protective.

“I don’t-”

“We all know that Chat can be trusted with your identity,” Juleka said. Marinette flinched at Juleka’s quiet words, her eyes slipping down to her knees drawn up in front of her. Juleka leaned in just a little, speaking as carefully as she could. “Something else is holding you back. What are you so scared of?” Marinette glanced up at Juleka from beneath long lashes. Her blue eyes were wide, uncertain. Tikki flew to her, settling on one knee and reaching down to pat it comfortingly.

“It’s okay to be scared, Marinette,” Tikki said. “Just talk to us.” Marinette stared down at her kwami, drawing in a shaky breath.

“Ladybug is- I’m not-” Marinette said. She released her ribs only to wrap her arms around her legs, drawing them in closer to her chest. She set her chin down on one knee, Tikki inching closer on the other to stroke Marinette’s cheek. Juleka also shifted closer, unsure of how to help or what to say. She laid a hesitant hand on Marinette’s arm, offered a small smile when Marinette’s frightened eyes flicked up to hers and away.

“I’m not like Ladybug is,” Marinette said quietly. “He goes to our school; he probably knows what Marinette is like. What if he’s disappointed?” Marinette pressed her forehead against her knee, hiding her face. Tikki continued to pat Marinette’s head, throwing Juleka a worried glance. Juleka just blinked at them both.

“But…that’s ridiculous,” Juleka blurted. Marinette tensed and Tikki stared up at Juleka, seemingly appalled at her words. Juleka hastily backtracked. “No, it’s just that you are Ladybug.” Marinette lifted her head, looking up at Juleka guardedly.

“Technically, yeah, but I’m better as Ladybug. I act differently,” Marinette said, looking back down at her lap, her body still curled in on itself.

“No, you don’t,” Juleka said.

“Yes, I-”

“No,” Juleka said firmly. Marinette looked up in surprise. “You are Ladybug, Marinette, with or without a mask. It’s so obvious. You’re both strong. You’re both independent. You’re both smart. In fact, it’s one of the things that convinced me you were her. The way you acted.” Juleka chuckled quietly, shaking her head. “You basically go full superhero any time you have to deal with Chloe.” Marinette actually smiled at that, sitting up a little bit and smiling shyly up at Juleka.

“Really?” Marinette asked, glancing down at Tikki and then back up at Juleka. They both nodded.

“Chat won’t be disappointed. It’s pretty much impossible,” Juleka said. She thought of Adrien helping Marinette with her homework, excited to spend time with her, smiling at her before class in the mornings. Chat already liked Marinette whether she knew it or not.

“Okay…maybe you’re right,” Marinette said slowly. She straightened up all the way, her body finally relaxing as she smiled, still a little uncertain, but no longer so afraid. “I’ll…I’ll think about it.” Tikki turned and winked at Juleka, her face splitting into a grin.

“Good,” Juleka said, snagging a cookie. She looked up at Marinette just in time to see her face go from shy to sly.

“I’ve told you about _my_ relationship,” Marinette said, her smile widening. “Your turn.”

“Why do superheroes always want to know about my love life?” Juleka asked, letting out a long sigh even as she fought to suppress her smile.

 

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“That sounds like it turned out alright,” Master Fu said, pouring himself some more tea. Juleka nodded, stealing a bite of chicken before she continued.

“It did. Much better than it could have. Still, I thought that that was the last I’d hear about it for a while because she’s not big on confessing things,” Juleka said, shaking her head, a little smile growing on her face. Master Fu raised an eyebrow at her over the rim of his teacup. “But apparently this time, it was different. Because later that night, my other friend…dropped by…”

 

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**Fourteen Hours Earlier**

Juleka was startled out of her sketching by something large and solid slamming into her window. Her head snapped up, her heart rate immediately quickening when her eyes picked out the dark shape looming outside. Juleka stayed frozen in place for a moment, her mind racing through possible explanations, escape routes, plans of attack.

And then the shape shifted and the light of her desk lamp reflected off of a pair of green eyes. Juleka’s heart rate slowed as she realized what exactly was loitering outside. Juleka stood and crossed to her window, quickly throwing it open and stepping back to allow Chat Noir and a burst of frigid air to slip inside.

“Hey, Jules,” Chat said cheerfully, lifting one clawed hand in a wave. Juleka crossed her arms, staring back at him. Chat deflated a little. “What?”

“You couldn’t have used the front door?” Juleka asked, her face remaining distinctly unimpressed.

“The window was easier,” Chat protested, gesturing to his suit.

“The window was a heart attack waiting to happen,” Juleka said. She sighed at Chat’s downfallen expression. She shut the window against the cold night and gestured to the couch. “Take off the suit and sit down.” Chat perked right up, immediately releasing his transformation.

“Jules,” Plagg said, zooming over to hover in front of Juleka’s face as she sat back down at her desk. Juleka nodded at him solemnly.

“Plagg,” Juleka acknowledged.

“It’s not my fault he’s being dumb,” Plagg said, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I know,” Juleka said.

“Hey,” Adrien protested. Plagg made a face at him before he flitted off to find something more interesting. Probably cheese.

“Who here just ran into my window at ten o’clock on a school night?” Juleka asked, raising one eyebrow at him. Adrien opened his mouth to protest, then closed it again, instead smiling sheepishly as he stuck his hands in his pockets. Juleka took a moment to look at him, taking him in for the first time since he’d slipped into the room. He didn’t look hurt, but he hadn’t actually stopped moving yet. Adrien was an active person, sure, but he was practically vibrating now, bouncing on his toes as he regarded Juleka with a grin that was swiftly moving from sheepish to nervous. Something had him on edge.

“You okay?” Juleka asked cautiously.

“Ladybug told me that you found her,” Adrien blurted, pressing his lips together once the sentence had escaped. Juleka blinked at him in surprise. Then she smiled a little. Apparently, Marinette had finished thinking about it.

“Did she?” Juleka asked, allowing her smile to grow. Adrien’s face split into a smile.

“So it’s true?” Adrien asked breathlessly, grinning so wide it almost hurt to look at. “You found her? She…she goes to our school?” Juleka nodded. Adrien let out a whoop, his hand punching the air. He started pacing around the room, back and forth, like his body had too much energy and he didn’t know what to do with it. He let out an incredulous laugh, his hands pushing through his hair.

“Told you it wasn’t my fault,” Plagg said by Juleka’s ear. Juleka looked over at him, unsurprised to see him holding one of the little cheese wheels she’d had in her fridge.

“Can you blame him?” Juleka asked.

“Yes, yes I can,” Plagg said, shaking his head at Adrien who was still pacing and grinning like he’d won the lottery. “Would you get a grip already?”

“Even you can’t bring me down, Plagg,” Adrien said, darting forward and scooping his kwami out of the air. Plagg let out an indignant squawk. “You know why? Because Ladybug goes to my school. Ha!” Plagg wriggled out of Adrien’s grasp, muttering disgustedly as he flew over to perch on Juleka’s bed on the other side of the room and eat his cheese in peace. Adrien flopped down on the couch, staring up at the ceiling, his grin unabated. “How am I going to focus tomorrow, Jules? Every girl I pass, I’m going to be wondering if it’s her.”

“I honestly don’t know,” Juleka said, leaning back in her chair and watching him with amusement. “I’ll just go ahead and make you a copy of my notes every day until Christmas holiday starts.”

“There’s only three more days until Christmas holiday,” Adrien said, glancing over at Juleka.

“Then I don’t have a lot of notes to copy,” Juleka said. Adrien’s face suddenly morphed from joyful to mournful.

“I’ll only have three days with her before break starts,” Adrien said sadly. Juleka snorted.

“You don’t even know who she is,” Juleka said. Adrien’s face fell even more.

“I know,” Adrien said, looking back up at the ceiling. “But at least I’ll know she’s close by.”

“I think that would drive me crazy,” Juleka said softly. “Knowing but not knowing.”

“It’ll probably drive _me_ crazy,” Adrien admitted, his dry chuckle less than amused. “You know what they say about curiosity and cats. It’s probably for the best that we only have a couple days.”

“And when we get back?” Juleka asked. Adrien stayed silent for a moment, his eyes drifting down from the ceiling to rest on the mural.

“She said that she would tell me one day,” Adrien said at last. Hope lurked in his eyes and pulled at his smile. “I’ll get to see her every day then. But she’s not ready yet and I’m not going to pressure her into something she’s not ready for.”

“She’ll be ready eventually,” Juleka said, thinking about Marinette’s shy smile from earlier. “I know she will.”

“You know her pretty well?” Adrien asked, looking over at Juleka with open curiosity. Juleka thought for a moment, weighing her words carefully.

“I’ve known her for a long time,” Juleka said. “We’re not super close.” _At least we weren’t before this mess_. “But we’re friends.”

“What’s she-”

“Nope,” Juleka said, holding up a hand. “For the sake of your identities and my sanity, let’s not go down this rabbit hole.”

“Can’t blame me for trying,” Adrien said with a shrug and a sheepish smile.

“I can actually,” Juleka said, smiling back. They fell silent for a beat, both adjusting to this new information in their lives, this new dynamic, where Juleka knew, but everyone else only had part of the picture.

“So, how’s Rose?” Adrien asked, breaking the silence.

“Okay seriously. What is it with superheroes and my love life?”

 

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“So, he only knows part of it,” Master Fu said. Juleka nodded with a sigh.

“Both of them do. They could know everything, but like I said, she’s not really ready for that,” Juleka said. Master Fu nodded thoughtfully.

“So, you all showed up at school this morning,” Master Fu said, a glimmer in his eye communicating that he could see where this was headed. Juleka shook her head in exasperation.

“This morning we show up at school and she’s freaking out because she told him part of the secret and he’s freaking out because he knows part of the secret, but they don’t…” Juleka paused, trying to figure out how to describe the dynamic between them. “It’s a weird secret so they don’t actually talk about it to each other? So, they both are constantly bugging me, which I don’t really understand, but it seems to make them happy.”

“I can see how talking to you would make them happy,” Master Fu said, smiling at Juleka fondly and shooting her a wink. Juleka shook her head, but smiled back.

“Anyway, halfway through the morning, I couldn’t take their panicking anymore so I escaped to the bathroom for just a moment to breathe. I hadn’t thought it could get any more complicated, but this school just loves to surprise me…”

 

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**Two Hours Earlier**

Juleka was hiding. That was honestly the only term for what she was doing. She was standing in the locker room, staring at the wall, and hiding from her problems. She hadn’t even made it to lunch.

Juleka had thought that Marinette and Adrien were bad before.

Now, they were one hundred times worse.

Jumpy.

Overly analytical.

And, for some strange reason, _friendly_.

Everything was all _hey, Jules_ and _do you need help with the homework, Jules?_ and _who in this room have you known for a long time, Jules?_ and _do you think he’s looking at me funny, Jules?_ because Adrien couldn’t seem to leave well enough alone and Marinette was having a breakdown.

Juleka just needed five minutes where neither superhero was glancing at her over their shoulder or reading into her words. So, she was hiding in the locker room.

Juleka heard the locker room door open, but didn’t think much of it. She stayed where she was, leaning against the row of lockers and savoring the moments of freedom she had. Minutes passed and Juleka continued to stand there, just breathing in the silence. Wonderful silence. And solitude.

Except the door had never opened again. And whoever had come in hadn’t passed on to the bathroom so Juleka wasn’t really _alone_. Sure, the other person apparently wasn’t interested in doing a whole lot since it was still quiet. But they were _there_. They were _breathing_. Just knowing that set a buzz going under Juleka’s skin, disrupting her peace, popping up questions in her mind. Who was there? Why were they there? Why wouldn’t they go away and let Juleka have her well-deserved solitude?

Eventually, in a burst of annoyance, Juleka gave up. She walked around the corner of the lockers, intent on heading back to class since she wasn’t going to find any peace in the locker room.

At least, that’s what her plan had been. But that plan was crumpled up and thrown away when Juleka rounded the corner and found Nino and Alya.

To be more specific, she found Nino and Alya making out.

Nino’s back was pressed against the lockers, Alya crowding against him. Her hands were in his hair. His hands were on her waist. Their lips were pressed rather firmly together. They were making out. With each other. Nino and Alya.

Juleka wasn’t quite sure how long she’d been standing there when they finally noticed her. Nino saw her first, twisting his face away from Alya and ignoring her displeased whine to gape at Juleka. Alya turned to see what he was looking at and her jaw dropped. The three of them stood there for a long moment, just staring at each other.

Juleka’s first thought when her brain came back online was _hell no_. She averted her eyes and started for the door.

“Wait, Juleka,” Alya said quickly, untangling herself from Nino and reaching out one hand. “Can we talk about-”

“No,” Juleka said, turning to face them so abruptly that Nino took a step back.

“What?” Alya asked hesitantly, exchanging a glance with Nino.

“No,” Juleka repeated. “We’re not doing this.”

“Doing what, dude?” Nino asked, his eyes wide.

“The whole talking about the secret, bonding thing,” Juleka said, crossing her arms over her chest. “We’re not doing it. I refuse to have another heart to heart. I don’t know why you’re making out, I don’t know why you’re hiding it, and I don’t care.”

“But-” Alya started.

“I won’t tell,” Juleka said, turning quickly and making her escape. The door fell shut behind her and then Juleka was alone at last in the hallway, walking quickly away from what surely would have ended up a tragedy. A disaster. A huge pain…

Juleka got about five steps away from the door before her feet slowed to a reluctant stop.

Juleka did not need another heart to heart. She didn’t have the emotional bandwidth to deal with _another_ dumb secret. She didn’t want to know why Nino and Alya were making out in the bathroom and not telling anyone. She wasn’t reviewing all of the times she’d seen them whispering. She wasn’t thinking about how they always seemed to be standing just a little too close. She wasn’t going to allow her mind to think up questions about this. She didn’t want to know. She didn’t.

…

Juleka opened the locker room door as loudly as possible, making sure to heave her loudest sigh as she entered. She heard the distinct _pop_ of lips parting (a sound Juleka was certain was going to haunt her for the rest of her days) before she rounded the corner and came face to face with Nino and Alya’s surprised expressions. Again.

“Fine,” Juleka sighed, leaning against the lockers with her arms crossed. “Why?” Nino and Alya exchanged a glance. Nino shrugged and Alya sighed.

“Nino is going off to visit family in Italy for the break and I’m going to miss him, so-”

“No,” Juleka said, holding up a hand. “I do _not_ want to know why you're making out. I want to know why you guys are hiding your relationship.” Alya and Nino both blushed as they turned to look at one another again. Nino shrugged once more and Alya’s face flashed from embarrassed to annoyed. She rolled her eyes, gesturing at Juleka. Nino sighed this time, turning to Juleka with a sheepish smile that reminded her all too much of Adrien.

“My folks are normally pretty chill, but they get all uptight about dating,” Nino explained. Alya sighed again, crossing her arms and nodding exasperatedly. “I’m not actually allowed to date until I’m sixteen. So, we gotta keep it on the DL.”

“Do Adrien and Marinette know?” Juleka asked, mentally crossing her fingers.

“No,” Alya said, shaking her head so that her loose curls bounced. “No one knew until now.”

Of course. _Of course_. Why would Adrien and Marinette know anything? Why would any of this be _simple_?

“Look, Juleka-” Alya started, she and Nino exchanging yet another worried glance.

“Your secret is safe with me,” Juleka sighed. She pushed away from the lockers.

“Thanks, dude,” Nino said, grinning at her.

“Yeah, thanks, Jules,” Alya said, wrapping her arm around Nino’s waist with a smile of her own. Juleka just shook her head and left the room before she could learn anything _else_ she didn’t want to know.

 

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“So that complicated things? Catching them in an embrace?” Master Fu asked. Juleka grimaced, lowering her bite of chicken back into the bowl.

“An embrace?” Juleka asked, raising an eyebrow. Master Fu smiled.

“Would you prefer I call it, let’s see…” Master Fu made a show of thinking, dramatically raising a finger as his eyes lit up. “Tongue wrestling.”

“Oh god,” Juleka muttered, covering her face with one hand.

“Swapping spit?”

“Master Fu.”

“Lip action?”

“Please, no.”

“Alright, Juleka,” Master Fu said, finally relenting with as he laughed. “I will stop, but only because if you get any redder, I’m afraid you’ll pop.” Juleka lowered her hand, doing her best to glare at Master Fu despite the grin determinedly pulling at her lips.

“Why, thank you,” Juleka said as dryly as possible. “You’re so kind.”

“I know,” Master Fu said. He gestured for Juleka to continue. “The kiss complicated things.”

“It did,” Juleka agreed, nodding. “I hadn’t thought it would, but they started panicking on me too. So then I had four friends trying to talk to me, all of them completely freaked. And, somehow, they managed to convince me that being stuck at a table with all four of them was a good idea.

“It wasn’t. Like, it really wasn’t...”

 

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**Forty-Five Minutes Earlier**

Sitting in the middle of a corner booth at the Italian restaurant near the school, bracketed on one side by Marinette and Alya and on the other by Adrien and Nino, Juleka came to one annoying conclusion:

Curiosity was going to kill _her_ long before it ever got around to Adrien.

And then politeness would keep her company in hell.

Juleka really should have known better than to accept a lunch invitation from the four people that she was keeping secrets for.

In her defense, they _had_ ambushed her. (“Hey, Jules.” “Jules, wait up!” “Jules, dude.” “Jules! Hey, girl.”) And it wasn’t like Juleka had Rose as a quick and handy excuse because she’d been called out of class for a doctor’s appointment. She couldn’t say her parents expected her because Adrien knew her parents were in Egypt (or maybe China). She couldn’t even say it was a _money_ thing because Adrien had offered to pay for them all in a disgustingly generous move that had Marinette starry eyed for a good five minutes. So, in the end, Juleka had reluctantly accepted a free lunch at a nice restaurant with a bunch of really cool people who all seemed to be on a mission to kill Juleka with a potent mixture of kindness, small talk, and the worst secret keeping that poor restaurant had ever seen.

“How about last night’s homework, huh? Brutal,” Nino said, the edge of nervousness in his voice making it a little higher than normal.

“Oh, yeah. There was a lot,” Marinette said. A bell rang as the door of the restaurant opened. Both Adrien and Marinette craned their heads to look as if Ladybug or Chat Noir was just gonna waltz in. They turned their heads back to the table with complicated looks of relief and disappointment. Marinette’s hands folded and refolded her straw wrapper.

“I didn’t do about half of it,” Alya admitted with a shrug of her shoulders. She was currently the only one who was actually pulling off the nonchalance everyone was going for. “There was an akuma attack last night and I managed to sneak out to film it.” Adrien stilled for the first time since they’d sat down and Marinette plastered her I-didn’t-do-it smile across her face.

“Was it a good one?” Adrien asked, the very soul of innocence despite the smug smile threatening to break across his lips.

“It was pretty awesome,” Alya said, leaning forward eagerly. Both Marinette and Adrien relaxed a little at that; Marinette’s smile became a touch more genuine; Adrien leaned back. Alya continued, apparently unaware of the effect her words had on her friends. “I even managed to catch Ladybug and Chat Noir talking afterwards.”

Any chill Marinette and Adrien had accumulated evaporated.

Juleka sighed.

“O-oh, really?” Marinette squeaked. Alya nodded eagerly.

“You bet. Didn’t get close enough to hear or talk to them, but I got some awesome footage,” Alya said, thoroughly pleased with herself as she waved her phone.

“You’ll have to show me later, Alya,” Marinette said, her voice still much too high to be innocent. However, Alya didn’t seem to notice, busy as she was hastily breaking off eye contact with Nino.

The bell rang again. Marinette and Adrien turned to look. They turned back.

The silence that fell over them was less _awkward_ than it was…tense. Marinette and Adrien were each lost in their thoughts and Nino and Alya seemed to be lost in each other though they were trying quite valiantly not to appear so. And then there was Juleka, lost in observing this train wreck.

“You ready to order?” their perky waitress asked, materializing in front of the booth. Four startled teenagers glanced up at her and then down at their forgotten menus, still silent, still tense, and completely unprepared to order. Then, for some reason, they all turned their panicked gazes on Juleka.

Juleka didn’t know when she had become the person who communicated with the waitress. She didn’t know when it’d been decided that she was capable of dealing with such a responsibility. And she certainly didn’t know when she’d picked up jokes as a defense mechanism.

“Um,” Juleka said, shrinking away from the five people waiting for her to speak and rapidly shifting into panic mode, frantically casting about for the correct response, hell any response. She muttered something about needing more time. Apparently, it was enough, because the waitress gave Juleka an odd look, then nodded and walked away.

It took a moment for Juleka to register what she’d said and why everyone was looking at her with such surprise.

A meow-ment. We need another _meow-ment_. That's what Juleka had said. Who says that? To a waitress? In complete seriousness? Juleka didn’t say things like that. When had it become part of her programming to default to _puns_ in times of crisis? When had Chat Noir been put in charge of Juleka’s mouth? How-

Juleka was dragged out of her spiral of panic by her phone buzzing repeatedly in her pocket. She looked around to see Nino and Alya exchanging bemused, yet amused, glances and Marinette and Adrien looking ever so subtly down at their laps. Juleka opened her phone, already dreading what she was going to find in her messages.

 **Adrien:** _Jules_  
**Adrien:** _Jules was that a signal?_  
**Adrien:** _Does that mean LB is here?_

 **Marinette:** _Omg r u trying to tell me smthn_  
**Marinette:** _????_  
**Marinette:** _I dont_  
**Marinette:** _I cant_  
**Marinette:** _Omg is it that guy over by the window_  
**Marinette:** _W/ the red shirt_  
**Marinette:** _Hes not blonde but_

 **Adrien:** _Jules you need to tell me if that was a signal._

 **Marinette:** _I see that guy around school all the time_  
**Marinette:** _He’s always looking at me_  
**Marinette:** _Jules omg_

 **Adrien:** _We should have agreed on a signal._

Juleka let out an annoyed huff as the notifications continued to pop up and Adrien and Marinette texted from _right next to her_. She cast a glance at Nino and Alya, who were luckily completely absorbed in some sort of nonverbal conversation. She sighed, looking back down at her phone and crafting a message that she copied and pasted to both panicking superheroes.

 **Juleka:** _CALM DOWN THAT WAS NOT A SIGNAL IT WAS A SLIP OF THE TONGUE I’M SORRY_  
**Juleka:** _Why would I even be giving you signals wtf_

Juleka heard two exhales on either side of her and let out her own breath. She looked to her left and caught Adrien’s sheepish glance, then to her right where she caught Marinette’s apologetic smile. Juleka’s phone buzzed again and she reluctantly checked the messages.

 **Adrien:** _…oh. Sorry._  
**Adrien:** _But if you DID send a signal…_

 **Marinette:** _So red shirt guy isnt CN?_

Juleka sighed.

“Jules!” Nino said a little too brightly, turning to Juleka with a grin that could only be described as manic. Juleka looked back at him through narrowed eyes, flicking her gaze from him to Alya, who looked far too innocent, and back.

“Yes, Nino?” Juleka asked cautiously.

“How’s it hanging with you and Rose?” Nino asked. Juleka groaned internally as she felt Adrien and Marinette perk up on either side of her.

“Good,” Juleka said shortly, taking a sip of her water in order to avoid the inquisitive gazes of her friends. The condensation soaked into her glove, turning it clammy and uncomfortable against her skin. She looked back up to see all of them still looking at her.

“And?” Alya prompted when Juleka stayed silent.

“And what? We’re good,” Juleka said, sliding down a little in her seat.

“Good luck getting anything else out of her,” Marinette said, giggling a little as she shook her head at Alya.

“Yeah, I couldn’t get her to say anything else,” Adrien said, leaning past Juleka to commiserate with Marinette.

“You don’t need to know everything about who your friends are making out with,” Juleka said tiredly. She immediately regretted her words when everyone stared at her in surprise. Well, everyone but Nino, who choked on his water, effectively pulling focus away from Juleka as he coughed and gurgled. Adrien thumped his back while Alya struggled between watching her secret boyfriend with concern and throwing disapproving glances at Juleka. Juleka sank down a little further.

“Dude, you okay?” Adrien asked, worry lacing his voice, as Nino finally managed to draw a shaky breath. Nino nodded, waving Adrien away. Unfortunately, Adrien looked away from Nino and right back to Juleka, opening his mouth to respond.

“Relationships are allowed to be kept private,” Juleka said, pre-empting his words. Nino dissolved into another coughing fit and Adrien’s jaw snapped shut, his eyes growing big. Juleka reluctantly pulled out her phone again when it buzzed.

 **Unknown Number:** _Hey Jules this is Alya. I know ur tryin 2 help but ur killing my bf_

 **Adrien:** _Wait was THAT a signal???_

Juleka sighed again, closing her eyes against the headache forming at her temples. Her phone kept buzzing in her hand, out of time with the throbbing in her skull.

 **Marinette:** _OMG JULES you said CN and I have a relationship yesterday_  
**Marinette:** _Is he here now_  
**Marinette:** _??????????_

 **Adrien:** _Jules that seemed like a signal._

 **Unknown Number:** _U ok? Look a lil queasy there. Im not mad, I promise_  
**Unknown Number:** _Just kinda want my bf in one piece ya kno?_

 **Adrien:** _Jules?_

 **Marinette:** _?????????????????????_

 **Adrien:** _Hey you know you can trust me with these things, right?_  
**Adrien:** _Jules are you okay?_

 **Unknown Number:** _Jules?_

 **Marinette:** _Jules? You okay?_

 **Adrien:** _Jules you’re kinda freaking me out, you don’t look so good._  
**Adrien:** _Jules?_

 **Unknown Number:** _Jules?_

 **Marinette:** _Jules?_

Juleka stood up so fast her head spun, four pair of eyes snapping up to her face from where they’d been fixated on their laps. She felt their gazes burrowing into her, all of them curious and wanting and nervous and so, so kind. But that only made it worse whenall she wanted to do was run away from them.

“I have to go,” Juleka said stiffly, not looking at any of her friends, not wanting to see the distress flashing across their faces, the worry. “I’ll see you guys back at school.” The silence that followed was less tense than it was confused and Juleka knew, could see out of the corners of her eyes and past her bangs, that they were all looking at each other, lost and unsure. It took a moment, but they silently came to the consensus that it was best to let her go and Nino and Adrien shuffled out of the booth to let her out.

Juleka finally felt like she could breathe again halfway to La Tortue de Guérison.

 

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“And now I’m here.”

Master Fu blinked once, taking in the avalanche of information Juleka had just dumped on him. Then his face melted into a sympathetic smile.

“That sounds stressful,” Master Fu said. Juleka nodded, picking up her teacup and cradling it in her hands.

“I feel bad for leaving,” Juleka said quietly, staring down into her cup. “But it just got so suffocating being in the center of all of those secrets.”

“You should not feel bad, Juleka,” Master Fu said, reaching out to pat Juleka on the shoulder, his hand heavy and grounding and warm. “Not many people could deal with such secrets as well as you did. As well as you do.”

“I ran,” Juleka said flatly.

“If they are allowed to freak out, then so are you,” Master Fu said, raising an eyebrow at Juleka before he took back his hand. “I’m sure they’ll understand. They are kind people.” Juleka nodded slowly, raising her cup and taking a sip as she thought about his words.

“This isn’t Oolong,” Juleka said, staring down at her teacup in surprise. She looked up at Master Fu, saw him regarding her. “You always serve me Oolong when I’m upset.”

“Are you upset, Juleka?” Master Fu asked, taking a sip of his own tea. Juleka considered him, her brows drawn. She tilted her head at him. Master Fu smiled, his face soft. His voice when he spoke was gentle. “When you first began to visit me, Juleka, do you remember what you would talk about?” Juleka looked away, inhaling the unfamiliar aroma of her tea as she thought.

“I didn’t say a lot,” Juleka said slowly, flashing a smile at Master Fu. “But I think I told you stories then just like I do now.”

“Yes and no,” Master Fu said. His face turned sad. “All your stories then were of an empty apartment and a girl you could not have and places you did not belong. All of your words ached and all you drank was Oolong.” Master Fu smiled at Juleka, but the motion did not wipe away the melancholy in his eyes.

“It stayed that way for a very long time,” Master Fu said. Now his smile changed, the sadness at the edges smoothing away. “But now you tell me stories of new friends. Friends who insist that you spend time with them and trust you with their secrets and to help them when they are afraid. Friends that accidentally hurt you with how much they care for you. You tell me of a girl who loves you back.

“You may be tired and drawn out and confused, dear Juleka, but you are happier than I’ve ever seen you,” Master Fu said, grinning at her over his teacup. Juleka slowly smiled in return, savoring a different taste on her tongue as she sipped her tea.

Happier than he’d ever seen her.

Juleka knew that her life those days was different. How could it not be with a girlfriend she’d never expected to have and secrets she’d never expected to learn and literally more friends than she knew what to do with? She hadn’t thought all that much about how that was changing her.

Was she different now with all of these things in her heart?

Juleka almost jumped when she felt her phone vibrate. She took a deep breath, reminding herself that these were her friends, that she didn’t need to avoid them, that she probably shouldn’t leave them worrying any longer. However, she couldn’t help but let out a little sigh of relief when she saw the messages.

 **Rose:** _Just got out of the doctor’s office. I’ll be at school soon!_  
**Rose:** _I feel like I haven’t gotten to actually see you in forever :(_  
**Rose:** _Which is kinda silly because I saw you this morning, but still_  
**Rose:** _Can’t wait to see you this afternoon <3 <3 <3_

Juleka felt the smile stretching across her face, but she didn’t bother to smother it. She glanced up at Master Fu, catching the smile on _his_ face. They stayed there for a moment longer, smiling and happy and calm in the safety of Master Fu’s garden, warm inside despite the cold. Then, Juleka stood, carefully setting down her teacup and picking up her bag.

“I have to get back to school,” Juleka said, smiling down at Master Fu. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Master Fu said, waving a hand at her. “Shoo. But come back soon.”

“I will,” Juleka promised, backing away. She was closing the gate behind her when she heard him, his quiet voice almost lost under the clang of the lock sliding into place.

“Take care of them for me.”

The words echoed in Juleka’s skull as she walked back to school.

She wondered what they meant.

She wondered why it felt like they meant everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh goodness, this chapter and I have a love-hate relationship and I am glad that I finally conquered it before it _killed me_. You can blame _it_ for only getting one chapter this week.
> 
> Over the next few weeks I am going to get hella busy, so I may not be able to continue posting twice a week like I have been, but I am going to try my darndest and unless something extreme happens, you will almost always get an update on Saturdays. Even though I'm busy, you should come bother me on tumblr @[secretlyalya](http://secretlyalya.tumblr.com/) to make sure I stay on track ;)
> 
> Thanks to everyone for sticking with this story and leaving kudos and saying nice things that definitely do not make me cry what are you talking about. Y'all are the best. #julerose4life
> 
>  
> 
> Next: What do you mean it's August, I can make it Christmas if I want to...


	18. That's the Spirit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juleka decorates for Christmas.

The only thing that surprised Juleka about the knock tapping gently against her window was that it hadn’t come sooner. She unfolded herself from her bed and crossed to her window, opening it and letting Chat slip inside. Her first instinct was to make fun of him for using the window instead of the door _again_. However, one look at him, standing in the center of her room like he was lost, his shoulders drawn up to his ears and his face hesitant, and Juleka couldn’t bring herself to tease. Instead, she sat back down on her bed and patted the space next to her. Some of Chat’s tension melted away as he released his transformation and sat down. Plagg gave Juleka a nod before making himself scarce as he always did when it looked like they were going to be having a serious conversation.

“Hey, Jules,” Adrien said tentatively, his toes tapping nervously at the floor.

“Hey, Adrien,” Juleka said. She leaned back against her head board, waiting for Adrien to say what he’d come to say. While she waited, she mused on how similar this conversation was already shaping up to be to the one she’d had earlier that evening. Superheroes thought alike it seemed.

“I’m sorry,” Adrien said eventually, glancing up at Juleka before looking back down at his knees. “I didn’t mean to push you at lunch today. I know you’re not going to do anything to reveal anyone’s identity and it wasn’t fair of me to ask.”

“No, it wasn’t,” Juleka said. She sighed when Adrien flinched. “But you’re fine. It wasn’t really your fault I flipped out.”

“It wasn’t?” Adrien asked, looking back up at Juleka, a complicated cocktail of disbelief, relief, and guilt sliding across his face.

“No,” Juleka said firmly. _Mostly not your fault anyway._

“Then what was it?” Adrien asked. He flinched again, continuing in a rush. “If you don’t mind me asking, that is. No pressure. You don’t have tell me, if you don’t want. Not gonna push you.” Juleka raised an eyebrow until Adrien’s babbling died out. He still looked a little skeptical, but it was tempered by concern now.

“There’s just…a lot going on with me,” Juleka said slowly, picking each word carefully. “You reading signals in every word I say didn’t really help.” Adrien had the grace to look sheepish. “But there’s a lot more stressing me out than just you. So, I forgive you. Don’t worry about it.” Adrien nodded slowly. He hesitated before he spoke again.

“You don’t have to tell me anything, but I’m here. If you ever want to talk about it. You know?” Adrien asked, looking at Juleka with all the earnestness of a golden retriever. “You help me so much. And I want to help you if I can.” Juleka tilted her head, considering Adrien carefully. Just like with Rose, Juleka wanted to talk to him. But even though he was on the inside of the situation, unlike Rose, there was so much about it that he didn’t know.

But, also like with Rose, there were parts that she could share with him.

“I always get kind of…edgy around Christmas time,” Juleka said, still speaking slowly, still examining her words before she said them even though the only secret she was revealing now was her own.

“Why?” Adrien asked softly. Something dawned on his face when Juleka hesitated. “You said your parents come back for Christmas, right?” Juleka felt herself stiffen and took a deep breath, deliberately relaxing her tense muscles.

“I said they _usually_ come back,” Juleka said, tilting her head so that her bangs swept in front of her face. “I never know if they will or not.”

“Don’t they tell you?” Adrien asked. Juleka shook her head.

“I don’t really hear from them that often,” Juleka said. She glanced up at Adrien to see him shaking his head slightly.

“And I thought _I_ had it bad,” Adrien said, something close to awe in his face, but darker. Juleka raised an eyebrow at him. Adrien looked away. “I don’t get to spend a lot of time with my father and when I do, he’s pretty distant, so I get it.” Juleka thought about the few times she’d seen Gabriel Agreste, how cold he’d been. She’d never really thought about what it must be like to be his son, but it didn’t really surprise her that it wasn’t all that wonderful.

“But I guess I don’t really have any room to complain.” Juleka’s gaze snapped up to Adrien’s face. He was still looking away, his face set into grim lines.

“What?” Juleka asked. Adrien looked up at Juleka with a sympathetic smile.

“You have it worse than I do,” Adrien said sadly. Juleka stared at him.

“How?” Juleka asked, bewildered. It was Adrien’s turn to raise an eyebrow.

“My parent is usually in the same city as me,” Adrien said, like that explained everything.

“Yeah, but weren’t you, like, forbidden to go to school until this year?” Juleka asked, thinking back to some of the stories she’d heard when Adrien had first shown up. Adrien waved his hand impatiently.

“Sure, but that means my father’s protective. Your parents literally don’t tell you where they are,” Adrien said.

“Absent parents mean I can basically do what I want. Overprotective ice sculpture pretending to be a parent is way worse,” Juleka said.

“But at least I know he cares. And even if I have to spend Christmas at a dumb company schmooze party, at least I know I’ll be spending it in the same _room_ as my father,” Adrien said, gesturing a little wildly as if that’d make his point.

“But even if my parents aren’t home, I still have to go to a schmooze party with my mother’s family,” Juleka pointed out. She realized as soon as she said it that she was arguing against herself.

“See!” Adrien said triumphantly, a grin spreading across his face. “You have it worse than I do.”

“Adrien, this isn’t the Crappy Life Olympics,” Juleka said, trying to suppress her smile.

“Oh. Right. Sorry,” Adrien said, his grin slipping away as he deflated.

“Besides, even if you don’t win the gold in Crappy Parents, which I’m not convinced you don’t,” Juleka said, allowing herself to smile so that Adrien would stop with the guilt train he was so obviously boarding, “everyone has the right to complain. Our lives _both_ suck and we both get to complain about it.”

“Crappy lives, huh?” Adrien asked, a slow smile lighting up his face once more. Juleka shrugged, her own smile growing in return. “Well, I hope your life is a little less crappy this Christmas.” Juleka looked down at her nails. She shrugged again.

“I hope so too,” Juleka said.

Juleka thought later, once Adrien had cajoled Plagg into transforming and left the way he came, that that might have been the first outright lie she had told him.

Because she didn’t have much hope at all.

What Juleka had told Adrien was true enough. A big part of her problem with Christmas was the uncertainty surrounding her parents. But that wasn’t all.

Time stopped for Juleka when holidays started, flowing so painfully slowly that it might as well not be flowing at all. The school wasn’t open, so Juleka couldn’t use the art room. She didn’t like loitering around Master Fu’s place for hours so that was a limited escape. Even locking herself in her room left her feeling agitated and discontented and thinking, thinking, thinking. So Juleka was generally reduced to aimlessly wandering Paris until time started again and she could be bored in a classroom rather than anywhere else. Year after year after year.

But honestly, the one thing that made Christmas the worst wasn’t her parents or her boredom.

It was Rose.

 

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“We’ll be back in just a couple of days,” Rose murmured, her voice almost lost against Juleka’s chest, her arms wrapped tight around Juleka’s middle.

“I know,” Juleka said, her cheek resting against Rose’s hair.

“We’ll see each other again before you know it,” Rose said.

“I know.”

“And I’ll text you as much as I can,” Rose said. Her voice hitched a little, but Juleka pretended not to notice.

“Not too much,” Juleka said, rubbing Rose’s back. “You know your father doesn’t like that.”

“But I’ll text you anyways,” Rose said. Juleka could hear the defiant pout in her voice.

“I know,” Juleka said. “I’ll be fine. You enjoy your vacation.” Rose nodded, the movement jostling Juleka’s cheek. Juleka suppressed a smile.

“You’ll be fine,” Rose said, drawing in a shaky breath.

“I’ll be fine,” Juleka said. She loosened her hold on Rose at last, drawing back so that she could smile down at her. “I’ll see you the day after Christmas, okay?”

“Okay,” Rose said, nodding emphatically. Juleka brushed her bangs away from her face. Rose pushed up on her toes, lifting her chin. Juleka chuckled and leaned down to press her lips against Rose’s in a quick kiss.

“It’s almost time for you guys to go,” Juleka said, reluctantly stepping back from Rose. Rose’s face fell, but she followed when Juleka picked up Rose’s suitcase and moved towards the hall.

The Lavillant home was the picture of tasteful holiday spirit. There were angels and holly and stockings hung along the fireplace, father, mother, sister, brother, and fat little Father Christmases and a copy of this year’s Christmas card and a nativity set and a medium sized tree decked out with shiny round ornaments in classic Christmas colors. Same as last year. And the year before that.

Mr. Lavillant and Lucas were sitting on the couch and Mrs. Lavillant was bustling around, checking for the third time that they had everything they needed. Juleka put Rose’s suitcase down next to the three identical cases waiting next to the front door, then went to stand by Rose next to the couch. It felt wrong to stand beside her and not hold her hand. But she didn’t.

“You know the rule, Lucas,” Mr. Lavillant was saying sternly. “Only family on holidays.” Juleka’s chest tightened. She felt Rose stiffen next to her.

“But Papa, Amelie and I are _engaged_ ,” Lucas protested, his pout truly impressive. “She’s practically family already.” Mr. Lavillant chuckled at Lucas in that way adults have that clearly communicated that he believed this conversation was over the boy’s head.

“Well, she’s not family yet,” Mr. Lavillant said, looking down at Lucas fondly. Lucas only huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. Mr. Lavillant looked up at Rose. “Ready to go?”

“Yes, Papa,” Rose said. Her voice was a little too bright, but Juleka pretended not to notice.

“Good,” Mr. Lavillant said, clapping his hands on his knees and levering himself up with a quiet groan. “I believe your mother will be done quadruple checking soon. We should go ahead and say goodbye to Juleka.” Mr. Lavillant smiled kindly at Juleka, almost managing to mask the discomfort lingering in his eyes. He offered her a little wave before turning away to help his wife. Before Rose could say anything, Lucas scooted off the couch and wriggled his way into Juleka’s arms.

“Why can’t _you_ come to Christmas?” Lucas asked sadly, his large eyes staring up at Juleka. She felt her chest twinge. “If anyone’s family, you are.” Juleka hugged Lucas to her, cradling his head against her ribs so that she didn’t have to look at those eyes.

“I’m not family, Lucas,” Juleka said quietly. “I’ll see you right after Christmas, how about that?” Juleka felt Lucas shrug in her arms.

“I guess that works,” Lucas said. Juleka released him and when he stepped back, he had a huge grin on his face. “Rose helped me make something awesome for you. I hope you like it.”

“I’m sure I will,” Juleka said, ruffling Lucas’s hair just slightly. She looked up at Rose, saw the tears collecting in her eyes. “I gotta go. Merry Christmas, Lucas.”

“Merry Christmas, Juleka,” Lucas said, that grin still spread across his face.

“Oh, Juleka, you’re leaving?” Mrs. Lavillant asked, distress filling her voice like it was Juleka’s choice to go. She bustled over from the kitchen, her smile pinned painfully to her face. She held out her arms, enfolding Juleka in a hug. Juleka stayed still and let her. She knew it would make her feel better. “We’ll see you after Christmas,” Mrs. Lavillant said. She almost managed to meet Juleka’s eyes when she turned away. Maybe she’d succeed next year.

“Merry Christmas,” Juleka said quietly. Mrs. Lavillant waved, but she didn’t look back.

Juleka’s chest somehow found a way to tighten even more. She pretended not to notice.

Instead she snagged the two gift wrapped packages awaiting her on the coffee table and her coat from the closet and walked out the door without looking back.

Outside, blinking in the bright sunlight and shivering a little at the cold, Juleka paused, turning to find Rose exactly where she knew she’d be, hovering behind her and doing her best to smile.

“Merry Christmas, Rose,” Juleka said. She lifted one hand to wipe away the tear that was escaping down Rose’s cheek.

“Merry Christmas, Juleka,” Rose said quietly, catching Juleka’s fingers and holding them. “I love you.”

“It’s just a couple of days,” Juleka said with a soft smile.

“I know,” Rose said. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Juleka said. Rose darted forward and pressed a kiss against Juleka’s cheek. And then she disappeared inside.

Juleka walked home alone.

She managed to not think about anything all the way up until her apartment door closed behind her. The apartment wasn’t the picture of holiday spirit. Juleka wasn’t sure they even owned any Christmas decorations. She’d never seen any. There was no holly, no stockings, certainly no Christmas card, and the closest thing to a Father Christmas was that fat Buddha sitting on the bookshelf.

The most Christmasy things in the room were the two presents Juleka clutched in her hands. One from Lucas because he loved her and he made her something every year. One from Mr. and Mrs. Lavillant because they knew that she wouldn’t be getting a Christmas and they felt guilty that they weren’t willing to share theirs. There wasn’t one from Rose because she insisted on holding out hope that one year they’d get to spend Christmas together and open the presents then. So they had a tradition of opening presents together the day after Christmas. Every year.

Juleka put her two presents down on the counter and flopped down on the couch, not bothering to take her coat off. Normally Juleka would have gone to her room, but she was feeling a little bitter and bitterness belonged to the living room.

Until Rose got back from the Semiannual Lavillant Family Road Trip, this was it.

Sitting in her apartment, holding on to what she could, trying not to go crazy, trying not to miss Rose.

Juleka sighed.

It was tempting to sit here and stew. To think about a family that welcomed her every other day of the year, but when the holidays rolled around she wasn’t family any more. To think about a family that _only_ showed up around the holidays, maybe, sometimes, and left her wondering, wondering, wondering if this time they’d come back, if this time they’d show up and stay and-

Juleka sighed.

That way lay madness.

Instead, Juleka wondered if she should spend the first day of Christmas holidays getting a head start on wandering the city or skip straight to mindless boredom. Or she could go grocery shopping. Probably best to get that out of the way before the hoards descended anyway. The kitchen could always use some scrubbing, the baseboards could stand to be dusted, or maybe she could mop…

Juleka was distracted from her highly exciting plans by a buzzing against her rib cage. She simply stared down at her pocket for a moment. Rose and the Lavillants were on the road by now and they generally started off with travel games, so she wasn’t going to be texting. No one else had much of a reason to text her. Juleka pulled out her phone when it buzzed again and was vaguely surprised to see a text from Adrien.

 **Adrien:** _Ugh. Jules._  
**Adrien:** _Why does my father interpret “holiday” as “more time for work”?_

Juleka smiled slightly as she read the text. She hesitated for a moment before responding.

 **Juleka:** _Does the Great Gabriel Agreste not slow down for the holidays?_

Juleka put her phone back in her pocket with a sigh. She stood up from the couch, shedding her coat and heading for the kitchen to see what she needed to pick up at the store. She stopped when she felt her phone buzz again. Adrien had responded almost immediately.

 **Adrien:** _If anything he speeds up. I have photo shoots, fancy galas, networking opportunities. NETWORKING. What is a collége student supposed to network about??_

 **Juleka:** _Beats me. Do they at least have free food?_

 **Adrien:** _They do, but I’m only allowed to have certain things in certain amounts. Diet plan._

 **Juleka:** _Ew_

 **Adrien:** _Tell me about it. As if running around Paris doesn’t keep me in purrfect shape_

 **Juleka:** _…that was bad_  
**Juleka:** _Worse that was easy_

 **Adrien:** _I thought it was meowvelous_

 **Juleka:** _.......didn’t you say you were busy?_

 **Adrien:** _No, no I did not._  
**Adrien:** _I’m waiting for a photo shoot to start right now._

Juleka continued to text Adrien as she moved around the kitchen, writing down items that she was low on and things she wanted to get while she waited for him to respond. He offered her snarky comments on the proceedings of the photo shoot and a startling number of photography puns.

 **Adrien:** _I have too much time to think during these things. How else am I supposed to entertain myself?_

And the whole conversation, prior to the point when Adrien said he’d have to go because they were actually starting this time (probably), Juleka was more or less completely confused.

When the holidays started, everything else stopped.

Juleka knew that she and Adrien were friends now, real friends that hung out and talked and stuff, but friendships had always gone on pause when school let out and she’d assumed that her new friends would be the same. But Adrien…Adrien wasn’t pausing. He was texting her in the spare moment he had just because he could. He-

Juleka’s phone buzzed again and she opened it, assuming that the shoot hadn’t started after all and Adrien was texting to complain about it.

 **Marinette:** _Juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuules_

Juleka huffed out a laugh at Marinette’s chosen greeting and fought down surprise for the second time in half an hour.

 **Juleka:** _…yes?_

 **Marinette:** _My family is decorating for xmas u wanna come help?_

 **Juleka:** _You want me to help? That sounds like a family thing…_

 **Marinette:** _I always invite friends to come decorate with us the more the merrier!_  
**Marinette:** _;)_

 **Juleka:** _Did you just make a Christmas pun?_

 **Marinette:** _:D_

 **Juleka:** _CN is a bad influence on you_

 **Marinette:** _Come decorate w/ us! Pleeeeeeease_  
**Marinette:** _W/ papa’s snickerdoodles on top_

 **Juleka:** _…I’ll be there soon_

 **Marinette:** _Yay! Bakery’s closed today so come to the back door_

Juleka slipped her phone back into her pocket and looked around her apartment in a daze. It sank in slowly, edging its way into her brain until it finally registered. Juleka had plans for today. She was going to her friend’s house and spending time with her family and…decorating for Christmas. Juleka tossed her grocery list on the counter, swinging by the couch to grab her coat on the way to the door. She locked it behind her.

She was going to decorate for Christmas.

 

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Jules rang the doorbell and stepped back, trying to find the best balance between nervous ball of energy and nervous statue impersonation. Sure, it didn’t make a whole lot of _sense_ for Juleka to be nervous. She knew Marinette, knew most of her friends, had met her parents before, had even been to her house a couple times. Didn’t matter much though. Holiday things were a whole new ball park and Juleka was nervous.

Luckily, she wasn’t given much time to stay that way. Juleka almost immediately heard a door slam and a loud thump from somewhere above her and then Marinette’s voice calling that she was coming. Juleka listened to her running down the stairs with amusement, completely forgetting her nervousness by the time a breathless Marinette flung open the door with a wide smile on her face.

“Jules!” Marinette cried happily. Juleka only had a moment to be taken aback by Marinette’s enthusiasm before Marinette grabbed Juleka’s arm and pulled her inside. “I’m so glad you could make it, Jules.”

“Hey, Marinette,” Juleka said, following Marinette up the stairs. “Thanks for inviting me.”

“You’re my friend,” Marinette said simply, turning over her shoulder to smile at Juleka. “Though you might regret it soon. We get a little crazy about Christmas.”

“We?” Juleka asked.

“Papa and I, mostly, and whoever else we can pull into it,” Marinette explained with a giggle. Tikki peaked past Marinette’s shoulder.

“They’ve only been at it for thirty minutes, but if they keep going like they have been, you’re going to have a lot of fun,” Tikki said, grinning at Juleka. Juleka smiled back at her, a little bewildered, but mostly intrigued. She could hear a loud male voice booming the lyrics to a Christmas song and even the stairwell smelled of cinnamon and ginger.

“I know you’re probably good on snacks, but I brought some cheese and crackers,” Juleka said when they reached the third floor landing, holding out her packages.

“Awesome, thanks,” Marinette said, grinning at her as she opened the door. “Maman, Papa, Juleka’s here and she brought more snacks,” Marinette called as they walked in. The loud singing cut off abruptly and Mr. Dupain walked into the living room, a Santa Claus hat on his head and a wide smile fixed on his face like it lived there.

“Juleka!” Mr. Dupain said, stepping forward and taking her offerings from her. “Thank you for bringing reinforcements. You’re welcome to whatever food we have.” Mr. Dupain paused and leaned towards them, speaking in a stage whisper. “And we have _a lot_.” Marinette giggled, leading Juleka into the room. For only thirty minutes of work, there was quite a bit of chaos spread over the living room, but none of it seemed to have been put to any use yet. There was a large tree snuggled into the space to the right of the TV, already strung with lights, but otherwise unadorned.

“Ah, Juleka,” Mrs. Cheng said, also coming out of the kitchen, holding her arms out. Juleka half expected her to hug Marinette, but she bypassed her daughter, instead pulling Juleka into a quick hug. Juleka even managed to hug her back this time. “Good to see you again. Hope we don’t scare you off for real this time.” Mrs. Cheng shot an amused glance at her husband and moved back towards the kitchen, her movements graceful, like she was dancing instead of walking. Mr. Dupain only held up his hands in a shrug.

“All right, girls,” Mr. Dupain said, turning to Marinette and Juleka. “You ready to make this place the merriest house you’ve ever seen?”

“You know it, Papa,” Marinette said excitedly, bouncing on her toes. Juleka nodded, though she felt a little thrill of anticipation run through her that she wouldn’t have associated with decorating.

Of course, the way the Dupain-Chengs decorated felt less like decorating and more like they were attacking their own house with holiday cheer.

There was glitter to be scattered and ribbons to be tied and pillows to be fluffed. The placement of the stockings, each beautifully embroidered with their names, was cheerfully debated and then placed in the same spot they were apparently placed every year. There was a little mini tree plopped on the coffee table and golden pinecones placed and holly and mistletoe hung. The Dupain-Chengs sang and they laughed and sometimes they danced and sometimes they bickered even while they laughed, but the entire time Juleka could not seem to stop smiling. Not once. Not even a little.

She didn’t really mind.

“Garland,” Mrs. Cheng said, perched casually on her husband’s shoulder with his hands holding her firmly in place. Marinette dove into the dwindling pile of decorations spread over the couch and came out with a garland, handing it to Juleka who stretched up to hand it to Mrs. Cheng.

“Tape,” Mrs. Cheng said. Juleka plucked a pre-cut strip off of Mr. Dupain’s arm and handed it to Mrs. Cheng, who used it to fix the garland to the wall. “To the right, Tom.” Mr. Dupain started moving to his left, his grin widening across his face.

“There good, hon?” Mr. Dupain asked, peering up at his wife. Mrs. Cheng planted her free hand on her hip.

“You and I both know that wasn’t your right, Tom,” Mrs. Cheng said, but she smiled as she shook her head at him.

“Come on, Papa,” Marinette said, still sifting through the decorations. “The sooner we get done with the garlands, the sooner we can start on the snowflakes.”

“Sorry, ladies,” Mr. Dupain said, moving back to his right, Mrs. Cheng not even swaying in her place on his shoulder. “You know my inferior male mind can’t handle directions.”

“Papa!” Marinette cried, flinging a small stuffed teddy bear at her father’s back.

“Marinette, please wait to throw things at your father when I’m _not_ on his shoulder,” Mrs. Cheng said, smiling down at Marinette.

“Yes, Maman,” Marinette said, smiling back with her most innocent smile.

“Tape, please, Juleka,” Mrs. Cheng said, holding out her hand. Juleka chose another piece of tape from Mr. Dupain’s arm and handed it to her. “I’m glad you came. We haven’t had anybody tall to help out since Marinette’s cousin and her husband came a couple years ago. Right a little more, Tom.”

“Thanks for inviting me,” Juleka said, moving with Mr. Dupain as he shuffled along to a new spot. She gave Mrs. Cheng a new piece of tape. Then she turned to Marinette, who was sorting snowflakes now. “But where is everyone else?”

“Everyone else?” Marinette asked, looking up from her snowflakes with a confused look.

“Your other friends,” Juleka said, moving to the right and selecting another piece of tape.

“Well, Nino is in Italy,” Marinette said, ticking off names on her fingers. “Alya has to babysit, but she’ll stop by later. And I asked Adrien, but he was busy with a photoshoot.” Marinette’s eyes turned a little dreamy with that last sentence.

“You asked Adrien?” Juleka asked, raising one eyebrow at Marinette. Marinette focused back on Juleka, pink leaking into her cheeks. She nodded her head quickly and returned to her snowflakes. Juleka chuckled quietly, shaking her head at Marinette’s back. She turned back to give Mrs. Cheng another piece of tape to find both her and Mr. Dupain already looking at her with thinly veiled glee.

“You know Adrien, hm?” Mrs. Cheng said, her voice casual, but her eyes dancing.

“Yeah, we’re friends,” Juleka said, unsure of how to respond to the unspoken words lacing Mrs. Cheng's tone. Mrs. Cheng and Mr. Dupain exchanged a glance, then returned to putting up garlands as if nothing had transpired.

 

“Alright, I believe we’ve done pretty much everything,” Mr. Dupain announced almost an hour later, attaching one last snowflake before he surveyed the room, now overflowing with Christmas spirit. He walked over to his daughter, slinging an arm around her shoulders. “What do you think, Marinette?”

“I think you’re right, Papa,” Marinette said, crossing her arms and smiling at their work with an air of satisfaction.

“What do you think, Juleka?” Mr. Dupain asked, looking over Marinette’s head at Juleka, who was in the kitchen snagging her third or fourth gingerbread cookie because those things were divine. Juleka was momentarily surprised that her opinion was asked, but she took a moment to look over the room. She sincerely doubted that there could be anything more to decorate, except-

“We still have to do the tree,” Juleka said, pointing to the most important part of the decorating process. All three Dupain-Chengs grinned at Juleka.

“Right you are, Juleka,” Mr. Dupain said, winking at her. “Saved the best part for last.” Marinette ducked out from under her father’s arm, coming over to Juleka and dragging her to the tree.

“This is my favorite part,” Marinette said, looking up at the tree with shining eyes. Mrs. Cheng stepped up next to them with a box of ornaments, holding it out. Marinette looked inside, debating for a moment before picking out an ornament. It was shaped like a spool of thread, pink of course, dangling delicately from its hook.

“Maman and Papa got me this one when I was ten. I had just started to become obsessed with sewing that year,” Marinette said as she hooked the ornament onto a branch, carefully releasing it so that the branch took its weight and watching it sway fondly.

“We all get an ornament every year,” Mrs. Cheng explained, also watching the spool of thread. “So, in a way, our Christmas tree tells our story.” She turned and smiled at Juleka, holding out the box. Juleka looked back at her with wide eyes, then down at the box. Marinette and Mrs. Cheng and Mr. Dupain all smiled at her, waiting for her to take an ornament, allowing her into their tradition, trusting her, inviting her, but...

Juleka hesitantly reached into the box, drawing out the first ornament she touched, holding it like it was glass rather than plastic. It was a little red bicycle with wheels that really turned when Juleka gently touched them.

“Ah, Marinette got that one when she was, what, seven?” Mr. Dupain said, looking to his wife for confirmation.

“Mhm.” Mrs. Cheng laughed, reaching over and gently tugging one of Marinette’s pigtails. “One day, Marinette up and decided that she was ready to ride a big girl bike and would not rest until she learned how.”

“She fell off dozens of times, but she just kept getting back on,” Mr. Dupain said, smiling down at his daughter. Marinette smiled back. “She’s stubborn like that.”

“Well, I learned it from my father,” Marinette assured Juleka solemnly. Mr. Dupain laughed loudly. “Go ahead.” Marinette gestured to the tree and then they were all looking at her again, waiting for her to place the ornament. Juleka looked up at the tree, the blank expanse waiting to be filled. She looked back down at Marinette, panic swirling inside her.

“Where do I…” Juleka said, helplessly gesturing at the overwhelming amount of free space. She didn’t want to get it wrong, mess it up, deviate from their comfortable pattern that made her so warm inside.

“Haven’t you ever decorated a tree before?” Marinette giggled. Juleka shook her head quickly, her bangs brushing her nose. Marinette abruptly stopped laughing. “You haven’t decorated a tree before?”

“Does your family not celebrate Christmas?” Mrs. Cheng asked, all polite curiosity.

“When my parents make it home for Christmas, we normally just go to the family Christmas party. We don’t actually decorate or anything,” Juleka said. Three pairs of eyes widened.

“Your parents aren’t always home for Christmas?” Mr. Dupain asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

“My parents spend most of their time working in China. Sometimes, they’re too busy to come home for the holidays,” Juleka explained, looking between the three astonished faces regarding her. There it was again. The shock and disbelief that Rose and Adrien had both exhibited when they found out that Juleka’s parents lived halfway across the world from her. It was no less surreal now than it was then.

“So, you just live in Paris by yourself?” Mrs. Cheng asked, an edge dropping into her voice. Juleka nodded.

“Is that even legal?” Mr. Dupain asked, the same edge coloring his tone. Juleka blinked at him. The question of legality had never occurred to her. No one had ever asked. Mr. Dupain and Mrs. Cheng exchanged a look, both with a strange light in their eyes. They seemed to have passed shock now. They seemed almost angry. That made even less sense to Juleka than the surprise.

“Wait, so what about this Christmas?” Marinette asked, concern written all over her face. Juleka shrugged.

“I haven’t heard from them, so I assume they’re staying in China,” Juleka said. “Or Egypt. I heard that they were done in Egypt, but they might still have some research to do there.”

“They haven’t even told you where they are?” Mrs. Cheng asked in disbelief. Her body was tense, her hands clutching the ornament box tight. Juleka just looked at her, unsure of how to respond.

“I take care of myself,” Juleka offered, hoping that this would make them feel better. It had helped the Lavillants. “They pay for the apartment and give me money for groceries and everything.”

“You have to grocery shop for _yourself_?” Mrs. Cheng demanded, somehow even more indignant about that than everything else. Juleka only nodded, unsure of why grocery shopping was such a big deal, unsure of everything really. “What kind of-”

“Sabine,” Tom said gently, laying a hand on his wife’s shoulder. Mrs. Cheng looked up at her husband, her face communicating her outrage. Whatever she read in her husband’s face, it caused her to take a deep breath, the tension leaving her slowly.

“Sorry, Juleka,” Mrs. Cheng said, offering a tight smile. “I didn’t mean to get so worked up.”

“It’s okay,” Juleka said. She couldn’t help but feel like _she_ should be apologizing, but-

“Who are you going to be spending _this_ Christmas with?” Marinette asked, still looking at Juleka with that same expression of concern.

“No one,” Juleka said. And then they were all staring at her again.

“No one?” Marinette asked, her concern deepening. “What about Rose’s family?” Juleka’s chest tightened convulsively and she looked down, almost surprised to see the little red bicycle still cradled in her hands.

“They only want family around for holidays,” Juleka said quietly.

“What-” Mrs. Cheng burst out. Juleka looked up, saw Mr. Dupain’s hand on her shoulder again, saw Mrs. Cheng taking another deep breath.

“So, you’re going to spend Christmas alone?” Marinette asked. Juleka nodded slowly even though Marinette looked like she was about to cry. Marinette looked over at her parents, her hands clasped in front of her. Mr. Dupain and Mrs. Cheng only looked at each other. They seemed to be having some kind of conversation, but Juleka couldn’t read it. She couldn’t read any of them.

Juleka wished desperately that she could do something to make them go back to how they were before she brought this up, laughing and singing and happy, but she couldn’t do anything but watch. She didn’t understand what was happening between the three of them and she didn’t understand why they were so affected by this. Yes, Juleka would be alone on Christmas, Juleka was almost _always_ alone on Christmas even if her parents did manage to make it back for the holidays. Yes, it sucked, sucked so badly that Juleka sometimes wished Christmas didn’t exist so that she was just a normal amount of alone rather than a special amount of alone. But that didn’t affect them. They would be together and Juleka being alone wouldn’t make them less together so why did they all look like Christmas had been cancelled?

Whatever was going on between them, it came to some kind of conclusion rather quickly. Mr. Dupain and Mrs. Cheng nodded at each other and grinned and Marinette started dancing from foot to foot.

“Juleka, you aren’t going to spend this Christmas alone,” Mr. Dupain said, turning his smile on Juleka. Juleka eyed him warily.

“I’m not?” she asked hesitantly, looking from Mr. Dupain to Mrs. Cheng to Marinette and back again. They were all grinning at her.

“No,” Mrs. Cheng said firmly. “You’re spending it with us.” Juleka felt her eyes widen.

“You really don’t have to do that, I’ll be fine,” Juleka said, holding one hand up as if she could physically stop them from offering this to her.

“We want to,” Marinette insisted, grabbing Juleka’s hand in both of hers. “Please say you’ll come, Jules. Please?”

“I…I don’t…” Juleka said, overwhelmed and uncertain and afraid, so afraid, to push herself in where she didn’t belong and ruin something beautiful that this family looked forward to, not again.

“Juleka,” Mrs. Cheng said, her voice soft now, where before it’d been hard. She stepped around Marinette, laying a hand on Juleka’s back and rubbing up and down, up and down. “We truly enjoy having you around. And we would love to share our Christmas with you. You wouldn’t be burden.” Juleka looked down at her, picking out the hints of Marinette in her face. Her eyes were different, but they held the same sincerity. Everything in Juleka told her to hold herself away from this, that she wasn’t allowed to have it, but Mrs. Cheng’s hand was warm on her back, up and down, up and down.

“Please spend Christmas with us, Juleka,” Mr. Dupain said, stepping up beside Marinette and smiling down at Juleka. She sucked in a deep breath, looking at Mr. Dupain, Mrs. Cheng, Marinette, and back again. Taking in their hopeful faces. Hands holding her hand. Hand rubbing her back.

Safe.

Juleka nodded slowly.

Marinette squealed and threw her arms around Juleka’s neck, hugging her tight. Mrs. Cheng and Mr. Dupain both laughed, one sound high and bright, the other low and full. Juleka hugged Marinette back, carefully holding the bicycle out to one side.

“This is great!” Marinette exclaimed when she finally released Juleka, beaming at her. Juleka couldn’t help but smile back.

“Now could someone tell me what to do with this?” Juleka asked, still unsure, off balance. But the Dupain-Chengs just laughed and Marinette showed her how to hook the ornament onto a branch and make sure it was stable, told her that it didn’t matter where it was hung, only that it was.

 

“Now we put in the lanterns,” Mr. Dupain announced when the last ornament had been hung, bringing more boxes over to the tree and taking out colorful paper lanterns.

“Chinese tradition, right?” Juleka asked, remembering one of her parent’s lectures a couple years back. Mrs. Cheng beamed at her and nodded, handing her a bright red lantern.

“When I was a girl, I begged and begged my parents to let us have a Christmas tree,” Mrs. Cheng said, reaching up to place a lantern in one of the few remaining empty spots. “We weren’t Christian, but I was determined to have my tree like they did in all the western films.” Mrs. Cheng chuckled, shaking her head as she handed Juleka another lantern. “I finally got it, but my parents insisted on decorating it like the Chinese do, with the paper chains and the flowers and the lanterns, so it didn’t really look like the western Christmas tree I wanted.

“But I still loved it,” Mrs. Cheng said. Mr. Dupain put his arm around his wife, both of them stepping back and smiling up at the tree.

“This is our compromise,” Marinette said. “Ornaments and lanterns.” She stepped back too, taking Juleka’s arm to pull her along. They all looked up at the now completed tree. It was beautiful. Every branch was laden with ornaments or lanterns, bright colors warring with the dark green for dominance. It was chaotic and a little wild and didn’t seem to have much in common with the tree the Lavillants put together every year with its color coordinated garlands and baubles.

But it was the most beautiful tree Juleka had ever seen. 

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“Hello?” a voice called as the front door opened. Juleka turned around on the couch to see Alya closing the front door behind her. “Oh, hey, Jules.”

“Hey, Alya,” Juleka said, locking her phone and returning it to her pocket. “Do you always just walk into the Dupain-Chengs’ house or is that a holiday thing?” Alya laughed, dropping down next to Juleka on the couch, eyeing the decorations with interest.

“Their door is almost never locked,” Alya said, dropping her voice as if they weren’t the only ones currently in the room. Then she shrugged. “Marinette and Papa Dupain are both terrible at keeping track of their keys. After a while they told me to just come on in whenever I show up.” Juleka tried and failed to imagine a place where she felt so at home. Half the time she almost felt like she should knock at her own apartment. “Speaking of the Dupain-Chengs, where’s the gang?”

“Mrs. Cheng and Mr. Dupain are down in the bakery working on a a last minute order and Marinette shouted something about a delivery, grabbed a dress from her room, and dashed,” Juleka said. She was still a little whiplashed from the action. She was a little whiplashed from just about everything that had happened that day. It was only the firm insistence of all three Dupain-Chengs that Juleka _had_ to stay for dinner that had her sitting on their couch waiting for them to return.

“I told her not to forget Manon’s dress,” Alya said, shaking her head fondly. “She’ll probably be back soon.” Juleka nodded. Silence fell between them.

Juleka glanced at Alya out of the corner of her eye. She was a nice person, but of all the people in their class, Juleka probably knew her the least. And they didn’t have all that much in common except that they were both friends with Marinette and both knew that Alya was secretly dating Nino.

Because Juleka’s life was absurd.

“Hey girl, are you okay?” Alya asked suddenly. Juleka looked at her, taking in her concerned expression.

“Yes,” Juleka said slowly. “Why?”

“The other day at lunch, you left so suddenly,” Alya said. “You looked kinda upset.”

_Ah._

“I’m fine,” Juleka said. “Just had some stuff going on.” Alya looked at her for a second longer, but nodded, satisfied.

“That’s good,” Alya said, her lips quirking into a smile. “I was afraid we’d broken you or something.” Juleka raised an eyebrow. “With our…you know. Our secret.” Juleka chuckled, shaking her head. _One_ secret relationship where everyone involved had _one_ identity was not enough to break Juleka. But it _was_ enough to make her curious.

“Can I ask you something?” Juleka asked, fighting to keep her wince internal. It was probably a bad idea to get herself more involved in this than she already was, but…she wanted to _know_.

“Ask away,” Alya said, leaning back against the couch.

“Why aren’t you guys telling Marinette and Adrien?” Juleka asked. Alya looked surprised for a split second before she sighed.

“I want to,” Alya said sadly. “But it’s easier to keep the secret if we don’t tell anyone.”

“Easier,” Juleka said flatly. Alya laughed.

“Okay, so maybe that was kinda dumb, but…I don’t know, I kind of…don’t judge me for this, okay?” Alya said, looking up at Juleka almost shyly. Juleka was having a hard time reconciling this Alya with the force of nature she normally saw. She nodded solemnly and Alya sighed again. “I just like having this to myself. Maybe that makes me a bad friend, but I like it just being him and me right now. I’ll tell Marinette someday, but for now…”

“For now, random people who catch you making out keep their lips sealed,” Juleka said, trying not to laugh at the sheer irony of the situation. Alya did laugh.

“Exactly,” Alya said. She tilted her head. “You know, you’re pretty cool, Jules.”

“Um. Thanks,” Juleka said, unsure why not saying anything made her cool. She was saved from having to think about it by the front door opening and Marinette flying in.

“Jules, I’m back, I’m so sorry about- Oh, hey, Alya,” Marinette said, smiling down at her best friend when she finally noticed her sitting next to Juleka. She plopped down on Alya’s other side. “Off of babysitting duty?”

“For now,” Alya said, dragging out another sigh. “Alas, I only have a bit of freedom before I am called upon to enter the fray once more.”

“Your mother picking up a dinner shift at the hotel?” Marinette asked. Alya nodded gravely.

“Alya!” Mrs. Cheng said as she opened the front door, her husband trailing in after her, both wearing smiles.

“Hey, Mrs. Cheng,” Alya said, standing to receive a hug.

“Staying for dinner?” Mr. Dupain asked, moving into the kitchen and washing his hands.

“As much as I love and would die for Dupain-Cheng cooking, I can’t stay that long,” Alya said, pouting.

“Your mother working a dinner shift at the hotel?” Mr. Dupain asked, moving to the side when Mrs. Cheng nudged him with her elbow and making room for her to wash her hands as well.

“Yup,” Alya said.

“Tell your mother that we need to get together again soon,” Mrs. Cheng said.

“Will do,” Alya promised with a smile. “I can help with dinner before I go.”

“You don’t have to help with a dinner you’re not going to eat,” Mrs. Cheng chided, waving her hand at Alya. Alya only marched resolutely towards the kitchen.

“It’s fun. I want to help,” Alya insisted.

“Alya, stop being a better daughter than me,” Marinette said. She turned to Juleka and rolled her eyes. Juleka smiled back.

“Can’t help it if I’m awesome, Mari,” Alya said, turning and grinning at her friend as she raised her hands helplessly.

“You can _all_ help,” Mr. Dupain said as he began taking things out of the fridge and setting them on the counter.

“See what you’ve done, Alya?” Marinette asked, trying to look indignant, but failing quite spectacularly. She turned to Juleka, her eyes dancing. “Come on, Juleka. We have to show Alya up.” Juleka didn’t even have time to chuckle before she was dragged into the kitchen.

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Dinner with the Dupain-Chengs was not like dinner with the Lavillants.

The food was still amazing. Stories were still told. But there, the resemblance pretty much ended.

The Dupain-Chengs had dinner the way they seemed to do everything else. With an abundance of laughter and perhaps an edge of chaos that was probably less chaotic than it seemed to Juleka. She was used to patterns: father, mother, sister, brother. But the Dupain-Chengs flowed around one another in a way that defied order: mother, daughter, father, father, mother, father, daughter, what do _you_ think Juleka, daughter.

One topic to another to another.

That one weird customer, the current sewing project, the upcoming election.

Marinette babbled.

Mr. Dupain winked.

Mrs. Cheng shook her head fondly.

Juleka didn’t speak any more than she would have at the Lavillant house. And there wasn’t anything different really about the way she was treated. Mrs. Cheng smiled at her just as much as Mrs. Lavillant smiled at her. Maybe Mr. Dupain asked her more questions than Mr. Lavillant, but he asked everyone more questions than Mr. Lavillant did. Marinette made her laugh just as much as Lucas did. But for all that was the same, it felt so different, so, _so_ different, in a way that couldn’t be contributed to different conversation patterns.

Juleka really wished that Rose was there.

When the plates had been scraped clean and conversation had slowed to a trickle, Juleka helped with the dishes. Mrs. Cheng washed and Marinette rinsed and Juleka dried same as she did with the Lavillants, but she handed the dishes off to Mr. Dupain who put them away because she didn’t know where they went.

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For the second time that day, Juleka found herself walking home alone.

However, this time she allowed herself to think, because instead of feeling empty and alone, she was full of a strange warmth that refused to go away even though the cold night air was painting goosebumps across her skin.

Earlier that day, Juleka had left a house that she knew better than her own. She knew where the dishes went and how to work the washing machine and she knew the cycles of its holiday decorations, Christmas then New Year’s then Valentine’s then Easter.

She’d left a house that was more home than anything else Juleka had ever known and she’d known that she didn’t really belong there and so she didn’t think as she walked home with the bright sun beating down on her but doing nothing to warm her.

But now…

Now Juleka was leaving a house that she’d visited maybe twice before and she didn’t really know it at all. When she helped wash the dishes, she didn’t know where they went and she didn’t know if they even _had_ a washing machine and she didn’t know how they decorated for the holidays or if they even celebrated the ones she was used to…

She left that house not knowing much, but she knew that somehow, some way, she felt like she belonged there in that house she didn’t know with a family that wasn’t hers and she didn’t know what to do with that, how to feel about that, what that meant.

Mrs. Lavillant took a year to hug her, but Mrs. Dupain held her tight before saying goodbye.

It didn’t make sense, it didn’t make sense, it didn’t make sense.

Home was wherever Rose was, but Rose wasn’t in that house.

So Juleka walked home alone and ignored the car horns and the buildings and the dog on the doorstep. And she thought about the warmth inside and whether it was okay to feel the way she did. Whether it was okay to let herself sink into an embrace that shouldn’t be hers to have. Whether this counted as betrayal or rejection to the family that had invited her in again and again for years.

And she thought about how school had been out for only one day and this holiday was already so vastly different from the ones that had come before. Time wasn’t stopping. Time was moving and her phone was buzzing because Adrien was finally done with his photo shoot and he wanted to talk and she was laughing and doing things and not wandering around Paris and that was so, so different and she didn’t know what to do with that, how to feel about that, what that meant.

Juleka reached her apartment building, too many thoughts swirling in her head, too many emotions swirling in her chest.

She was going to get a Christmas.

Juleka walked up the stairs slowly, one foot in front of the other, trying to convince herself this was real.

She was really going to get a Christmas.

Juleka fit key into lock and turned.

Normally the click of the lock would have helped bring Juleka gently back to earth. But Juleka slammed down to reality, adrenaline kicking in, because the lock didn’t click at all. Because her front door was already unlocked.

Juleka pushed her front door open slowly, her thoughts rushing ahead of her, taking in details. Door unlocked, lights on, coats on the coat rack, shoes lined up neatly against the wall. Then she looked up and her thoughts ground to a full stop for the first time in days, weeks, maybe even years.

 

 

“Mére. Pére. You’re here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: There's nothing like spending time with family...


	19. Party Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juleka attends a Christmas party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For MaryEmmaG, who hears me rant about this way too much and hasn't told me to shut up yet. You are the best.

Dr. Christophe Couffaine, Ph.D., and Dr. Angelique Couffaine, Ph.D., were world renowned archaeologists, collectively seven-time winners of the International Archaeology Association’s Archaeologist of the Year award, the first archaeologists to receive the Nobel Prize, frequent features in Le Magazine D’archéologie, and tenured professors at Peking University in Beijing.

They were also, coincidentally, Juleka’s parents.

“Mére. Pére. You’re here,” Juleka said, freezing in the doorway of her- _their_ apartment.

Two heads turned at Juleka’s words and she was fixed in the gazes of two pairs of eyes. There was a long moment of silence in which all three of them seemed surprised to be in the same space.

Juleka’s mother was the first to move, rising from the couch with a grace that Juleka could only dream of. Juleka had inherited her mother’s height and her mother’s slender build, but there the genetic similarities ended. Dr. Angelique Couffaine was blonde-haired and blue-eyed and tan-skinned, with an angular face that stopped just short of sharp. Still, there was no question that she was attractive. Beauty _and_ brains. If Juleka sometimes looked at her and wondered if they were really related, she felt that she was justified.

Naturally, when Mrs. Couffaine moved, Mr. Couffaine followed. He rose less gracefully than his wife had, possessing a shorter, stockier build. It was a little more obvious that he fit with Juleka in some shape or form. He’d given her the thick black hair, the round cheeks, the small nose. But his hair was graying rather quickly and while his eyes were also slanted, they were rounder than Juleka’s and a deep black to match his hair. Juleka had gotten his grandmother’s eyes and nobody was quite sure how.

“Hello,” Mrs. Couffaine said, her hands clasped in front of her, pale against her nice black slacks. Juleka blinked at her for a moment before she turned and closed the front door behind her.

“Hello, Mére,” Juleka said, taking a few steps into the apartment. She stopped in front of her parents, tucking her bangs behind one ear before clasping her hands behind her back. “Hello, Pére.”

“You look well,” Mr. Couffaine said hesitantly. Juleka nodded at him.

“You too,” she replied. Silence descended between the three of them, settling into Juleka’s bones like an old friend. This was the first time Juleka had spoken to her parents in months, the first time she had seen them in person in years, but her body remembered how to be her parents’ daughter. How to be still. How to be quiet.

Mrs. Couffaine looked at her, her face betraying nothing, her back straight, her hands folded. She looked like she had years before when Juleka had been brought to one of her lectures and someone had asked a question she didn’t know the answer to.

Mr. Couffaine was an open book with his hands stuffed in his pockets, his shoulders hunched, his face unsure. He got this way with pretty much anyone that didn’t have doctorates or thought all archaeologists spent their time raiding tombs.

Juleka had no idea what they wanted from her.

She could read them just fine, as well as anyone, had grown up trying to find words in their faces when their mouths didn’t say much. But it was hard to tell what they wanted when they themselves didn’t quite know what to do with her. They never had.

“When did you get in?” Juleka asked.

“We got here around four,” Mrs. Couffaine said. Juleka just managed to contain her wince.

They’d been in Paris for hours.

“You were out,” Mr. Couffaine said slowly. Juleka didn’t _think_ he was going for accusatory, but that was how it sounded.

“Yes, I was at a friend’s house,” Juleka said.

Silence.

Mr. and Mrs. Couffaine exchanged a glance, like they were conferring on how to solve a problem, interpreting the mysteries of teenaged society. Juleka wondered if they thought they were being subtle when they shrugged.

“This would be…Marjorie? From school?” Mr. Couffaine asked. Juleka resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow at him. It was impressive that he remembered Marjorie, even if Juleka hadn’t seen her former best friend since fourth grade.

“No,” Juleka said. Mr. Couffaine deflated a little, exchanging another glance with his wife. “But she does go to school with me,” Juleka offered. “Marinette. Her parents own a bakery.”

“That’s nice,” Mrs. Couffaine said.

Silence.

“So…you’ve been well?” Mrs. Couffaine asked, hands still folded in front of her, effortlessly still in a way Juleka could never manage.

Juleka nodded. And then she hesitated. She could tell her parents about her life. The question opened the door for that, allowed for that, _asked_ for that, but…but would they really want to know? Juleka hesitated with words on her lips as the moment slipped past.

Silence.

“The money we send you is enough for groceries, yes?” Mrs. Couffaine asked. Mr. Couffaine nodded next to her as if she had made a great point.

Juleka nodded. And then she hesitated. She could tell her parents about what she liked to cook and the store she preferred to go to and the older lady that worked there and always made sure to help her and how she often ate at Rose’s house anyways, but carefully, without accusing them, and that would lead to telling them about Rose and her family, but cautiously, without making them feel bad. But…but that wasn’t the question and Mrs. Couffaine’s face was carefully blank and Mr. Couffaine looked like he was standing at the top of a high dive platform. Juleka hesitated with words on her lips as the moment slipped past.

Silence.

Mr. and Mrs. Couffaine held their silent conference again, complete with ever so subtle nods and shrugs, but they didn’t seem to be able to come to a consensus this time. They stayed silent when they looked back at Juleka. Uncomfortable.

“I heard you finished your book,” Juleka ventured when the moment had stretched on too long, floundering for territory they knew how to navigate.

“Yes!” Mr. Couffaine exclaimed, his eyes lighting up, his whole posture changing. The uncertainty dissolved into a mixture of relief and excitement. He didn’t know his daughter, but he did know his discipline. “Officially finished the last edits this…April?” Mr. Couffaine looked at his wife.

“March,” Mrs. Couffaine corrected.

“Ah, yes. March. Last edits in March, which was so exciting, you know, finally finishing the book, it really was a long time coming, but such a ground-breaking thesis does take quite a while, you know, have to research it thoroughly, but now the first round is done, finally decided it was good enough, not perfect, mind you, nothing’s ever _perfect_ , but close enough, but of course it won’t be published for a while, has to be peer-reviewed and all that.” Mr. Couffaine stopped rather abruptly when he was finished. If Juleka hadn’t been so used to the way he spoke, going one hundred miles an hour until he decided he had said enough and that it was someone else’s turn to speak, she would have been jarred by his sudden silence.

“How did you know?” Mrs. Couffaine asked, her eyebrows furrowed slightly. Mr. Couffaine glanced over at her, surprise darting across his face to make way for realization. He looked back at Juleka with his brows furrowed to match his wife’s.

“Alix told me,” Juleka said. She winced internally when her parents stared at her blankly. Not enough information, _answer the question_. “Alix Kubdel, daughter of Mr. Kubdel, the historian in charge of the Egyptian exhibit at the Louvre.”

“Ah, Kubdel,” Mrs. Couffaine, nodding. “He referred us to our contacts in Egypt, remember, Christophe?”

“Of course. Good man, good historian. If I’d heard Kubdel first, I would have known,” Mr. Couffaine said. Juleka watched him realize that he’d just indirectly criticize her, watched him struggle to decide whether that was something one does with one’s daughter or not.

“Are you done in Egypt now?” Juleka asked, throwing him another lifeline. His relieved sigh was only slightly too loud.

“Yes, we’ll be back at Peking for the spring semester,” Mrs. Couffaine said.

Silence.

Juleka considered asking them another question. How Egypt had been, how they felt about being back in China, how their book had turned out, what they were studying now. However, even if Juleka did get them talking, the end result would be the same. They’d remember that they were talking to a child and wouldn’t know what to say anymore and the awkward silence would return.

The Couffaines, or at least the Couffaines plus Juleka, did not function well by themselves.

“I’m kind of tired. May I go to bed?” Juleka asked instead, releasing them all from the pain of this interaction, because even though these were rare, precious minutes, she knew her parents would prefer that. They seemed startled to be asked permission (Mrs. Couffaine’s mouth tightened and Mr. Couffaine’s eyes widened), but they nodded as one.

“We’ll be leaving for the party tomorrow at seven,” Mrs. Couffaine said. Juleka nodded.

“Make sure to look nice,” Mrs. Couffaine said, as if Juleka didn’t go to this party every year. Still, she nodded.

“Good night, Mére, Pére,” Juleka said.

“Good night,” they replied in unison.

Juleka walked past them to her room, slipping inside as quietly as possible.

Once the door was closed behind her, she breathed deeply for the first time since she’d entered the apartment. The tension here was much lighter, but Juleka was still all too aware of the presence of her parents just a few feet away rather than thousands of miles. When she moved away from the door, she stepped softly so that the floor didn’t creak. She eased herself down onto her bed so that the bedsprings wouldn’t squeak.

And then it hit her.

They were here.

Her parents were home, they were in the same city as her, they would be sleeping in their bedroom in this apartment all night long, they were home for the holidays. They had talked to her, told her that the book was done with their own words. She knew where they’d be in the spring. They’d be going to the family Christmas party with her the next day so that she wasn’t in a sea of sorta strangers all alone and then, just days later, they’d be there on Christmas day. They probably wouldn’t _celebrate_ Christmas, not like the Dupain-Chengs, but they’d be there. They’d-

The Dupain-Chengs.

Juleka wouldn’t get to spend Christmas with them.

But she _would_ get to spend it with her family like everybody else did and that…that was just as good as opening the three gifts she’d have next to a tree that was also a story and maybe getting to eat more of those gingerbread cookies; it was just as good, really. It’d be quieter, sure.

A lot quieter.

But Juleka had always lived for the years her parents were home for the holidays. It wasn’t any different this year. Not any different.

Nothing was different at all.

 

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Juleka trailed behind her parents as they made their way down the hallway in search of the right ballroom. She quickly tugged at the stiff white dress she was wearing, trying to get it into a position that could at least _pretend_ to be comfortable. She spared a moment to be glad that she wasn’t old enough yet to be expected to wear heels and let one hand flutter over her hair (still tucked into its bun, good) before regluing it to her side.

“Ah, the Leblanc family,” Mr. Couffaine said, stopping before a large set of doors. All three of them stood looking up at them for a moment.

“Don’t forget to say hello to Mére this year, Christophe,” Mrs. Couffaine murmured.

“That was _one time_ ,” Mr. Couffaine replied. “Don’t _you_ forget to be nice to your sister.”

“My sister and I are best friends,” Mrs. Couffaine said, frowning at her husband.

“Yes, you are. Be nice,” Mr. Couffaine said. Then they both turned to Juleka, both of them looking vaguely surprised like they were remembering she was there. There was a moment where it seemed like they were going to instruct her to do something, remind her of some politeness or offer her some advice, but then they both seemed to remember that Juleka had been to more of these in the past decade than they had and they turned back to the doors.

“Let’s go,” Mrs. Couffaine said, slipping her hand into her husband’s arm and starting forward. Mr. Couffaine followed smoothly. Juleka fell into step behind them. And the Couffaines entered the party.

 

The Leblancs didn’t do anything by halves, especially when they were showing off for each other, so the annual Leblanc Family Christmas Party was always a grand affair. There was tasteful classical music playing just a smidge too quietly to actually be enjoyed. There were beautiful dresses and well-cut suits. There was politeness oozing out of every pore as everyone tried to convey just how well they were doing as they engaged in small talk.

Juleka, to absolutely no one’s surprise, hated it.

She knew that everyone in the room was technically her family, but it never particularly felt like it. Sure the man that almost ran into her as they stepped into the room was, she thought, her cousin twice removed, or maybe once removed, but it didn’t really matter since he didn’t spare her a glance. And the gray-haired woman more or less holding court in the comfortable chair in the corner was her grandmother, but Juleka wouldn’t be expected to actually say anything to her until she paid taxes. Juleka didn’t even particularly look like anybody in the room save her father; all of the rest were blonde-haired and blue-eyed. Just like her mother. And her aunt.

“Angelique!” a high voice cried. All three Couffaines turned to see Gwendoline Leblanc weaving her way through the crowd. In all of Juleka’s years attending these parties, she didn’t think Aunt Gwendoline had ever changed. She looked strikingly similar to her older sister, so much so that a lot of people assumed they were twins. The same blonde hair, blue eyes, slender build, though she was shorter and had more slanted eyes. And she didn’t seem to have aged a day. “You told me you were coming, but I barely believed it.”

“It’s good to see you, Gwen,” Mrs. Couffaine said, holding out her arms to envelope Aunt Gwendoline in a hug.

“You’d see me more often if you came back more often, Ang,” Aunt Gwendoline said sweetly. She turned to Mr. Couffaine next. “It’s good to see you as well, Christophe.”

“And you,” Mr. Couffaine said, stepping forward to briefly hug his sister-in-law.

“And the littlest Couffaine,” Aunt Gwendoline said, turning to Juleka once she’d stepped away from Mr. Couffaine. She didn’t move to hug her. “I saw you much more recently than I saw your parents.” Juleka nodded. Aunt Gwendoline seemed satisfied and she turned back to her sister. Juleka repressed a sigh of relief. Now that Aunt Gwendoline had tacitly approved her presence, she’d probably be allowed to stay near them for the rest of the night, as long as she stayed quiet. Sometimes Juleka got politely shooed away before she even had a chance to be a bother. However, there was still a chance that things could go wrong if-

“Is your daughter coming tonight?” Mrs. Couffaine asked. Juleka held her breath as she waited for the answer that would almost certainly change the course of this evening.

“I haven’t seen her, so I assume she’s not,” Aunt Gwendoline, waving a hand. Juleka let out her breath. As long as she wasn’t here, Juleka would probably get a chance to listen to her parents all night. Whenever she did show up…well, it normally didn’t turn out very well.

“You didn’t make her come?” Mrs. Couffaine asked, her eyebrows furrowed. Aunt Gwendoline waved her hand again.

“She won’t be required to greet Mére until she’s an adult, so what’s the point?” Aunt Gwendoline asked. Mrs. Couffaine was still frowning, so Aunt Gwendoline rolled her eyes. “Don’t pretend anyone wants her here, Ang. We all know it’s just easier if she’s not.” Juleka found herself holding her breath again, hoping they’d move on from this subject soon. She was never surprised to hear Aunt Gwendoline talk this way, but it always made her feel…guilty.

“Enough about that,” Aunt Gwendoline said airily, like she hadn’t just maligned her own daughter. “Tell me about Egypt.” Juleka let out her breath, turning her gaze to her parents.

This was the best part, where she got to learn what her parents had been doing. When they spoke freely and at length and almost seemed like regular, open people. And Juleka could almost pretend that they were speaking that way to her.

“The material we got there was absolutely invaluable, Gwen,” Mrs. Couffaine said, almost looking excited.

“Oh yes, and the resources!” Mr. Couffaine said, _actually_ looking excited. “Cairo University has some impressive archaeological resources, such wonderful artifacts, and so well preserved, and the ease with which we could access them, you wouldn’t believe, but of course we’ve seen it so we do believe, but when we first started our research it was so _hard_ to believe, we were constantly surprised.”

“It was rather impressive,” Mrs. Couffaine agreed, following up her husband’s speech with a smoothness only she ever achieved.

“Only you two could spend almost a year in Egypt and come back with stories about dusty libraries,” Aunt Gwendoline said, shaking her head. Mr. Couffaine furrowed his eyebrows like he was confused, but Mrs. Couffaine shook her head back at her sister.

“We went to Egypt to _work_ , Gwen,” Mrs. Couffaine said.

“Of course, love, but you have to _live_ as well,” Aunt Gwendoline said with an exasperated sigh. “Bad enough you abandon me for yet another country, the least you could do is really experience it.” Nobody missed the bitterness in Aunt Gwendoline’s voice. However, Juleka did lose track of her mother’s response when her phone buzzed. It wasn’t pressed against her ribcage like it normally was, but rather settled against her hip in the pocket that was the only benefit of this stupid dress.

Juleka was now faced with a dilemma: to check the text or not to check the text. It wasn’t a problem Juleka had ever had to deal with before. Rose never texted during the party because the Lavillants always went on after dinner excursions around this time. So it must have been Adrien or Marinette texting. However, since Juleka had never had to worry about it before, she didn’t know what the protocol about being on her phone was.

On the one hand, Juleka wasn’t _really_ a part of their conversation, so they might not even notice her take out her phone. On the other, she was still viewed as part of their conversational group by the rest of the family and would probably be viewed as rude, which would displease both her parents and her aunt. It would definitely be safer not to check the text, but what if Marinette or Adrien needed _help_? Or, much more likely, what if they were _bored_?

Getting to listen to her parents speak happened once in a blue moon and Juleka couldn’t miss a moment because she really didn’t know when it would happen again…

But.

“Excuse me,” Juleka found herself saying. Aunt Gwendoline and her parents all looked down at her in surprise, as if they’d forgotten she was there. Juleka wouldn’t have been surprised if they had. This was possibly the first time she’d ever spoken up during one of their conversations. “Would you like some champagne?” All three adults stared at her. Juleka swallowed, but gathered her courage when her phone buzzed against her hip again. “I could go get some for you.” They stared at her for another moment.

“That would be wonderful,” Aunt Gwendoline said, a bemused smile stretching across her face.

“I’ll take a glass,” Mr. Couffaine said slowly, like he wasn’t sure that was the right answer.

“Me too,” Mrs. Couffaine said, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. Juleka nodded and walked away as quickly as she could without being rude. She slipped her phone out of her pocket as soon as she was out of their line of sight and stared at Marinette’s name where it glowed on the screen, wondering when on Earth it had moved up so high on her priorities. She unlocked the phone as she continued moving past vaguely familiar family members towards the food tables.

 **Marinette:** _How’s the party going?_

Juleka let out a small sigh. So Marinette wasn’t in trouble. Still, Juleka couldn’t quite regret her actions as she started to text back, already feeling the knot of tension that had been building in her chest loosen a little.

 **Juleka:** _Better now that I’m at the food table_

It really was. The one thing that made the annual party bearable when Juleka wasn’t soaking up every moment she could get with her parents was the food. Everything else, from the uncomfortable dresses Juleka always had to wear to the way she didn’t say a single word all night some years, kinda made Juleka want to hit something. But the food- the food was fantastic. Delicacies and desserts were piled on tables lining one wall of the rented ballroom. A selection of five different lobster dishes was probably a little excessive when most of the Leblancs barely picked at the spread, but Juleka certainly appreciated it. A plate full of deliciousness gave her an excuse to not interact with her family and something to do when she couldn’t avoid it and got stuck listening.

 **Marinette:** _Haha of course!_

 **Juleka:** _But the desserts are nothing compared to your family’s of course_

 **Marinette:** _I should hope not_

Juleka picked over the spread while she waited for Marinette to continue, popping a stuffed mushroom in her mouth. She debated whether she really wanted to fill a plate. She wondered how much she was missing from her parents at that moment.

 **Marinette:** _Hey Jules?_

 **Juleka:** _Yes?_

Juleka waited again, searching the table for the bacon-wrapped asparagus bites that they usually had. Marinette obviously had something important to say if the series of dots that kept disappearing and reappearing were any indication.

 **Marinette:** _I’m glad u get to spend xmas w/ ur fam_

Juleka stared down at Marinette’s message for a long moment. She wondered why it had taken her so long to send it, why it seemed so important to her. She also wondered why it made her chest tighten a little. Juleka was spending Christmas with her family, like she wished for every year. The same way Marinette was spending Christmas with hers.

Well, maybe not quite the same. The Dupain-Cheng Christmas was going to be very different from the Couffaine Christmas. Probably a lot warmer…

 **Marinette:** _Kinda sad we won’t get to share our xmas with u tho :(_  
**Marinette:** _I was rly excited_

Juleka was set staring again. In the brief span of time that Juleka had believed she was going to get to have Christmas with the Dupain-Chengs, she hadn’t considered that Marinette was _excited_ that she was going to be there. She’d barely managed to imagine her as _okay_ with the idea, but excited? She had never expected that. And now, Juleka was forced to contemplate something even stranger:

Did…would Juleka rather have Christmas with the Dupain-Chengs?

On paper, it was probably obvious. A holiday full of laughter and fun and good food versus a day spent awkwardly trying to connect and overcome the tense silence. It was a no-brainer.

But the thing was, Juleka waited all year for even a chance to see her parents, to feel for a second like they cared, and the moments when they chose to be with her were moments that she clung to, doing everything she could to make them last without straining the patience her parents had for her. Christmas with her family was the dream. It was her dream.

At least, it had been.

Because here she was, standing across the room from the only conversation Juleka ever got to pretend to have with them, staring at a text and dreaming of a very different Christmas and wishing, actually _wishing_ that…that…

 

That her parents hadn’t come home.

 

That thought shocked Juleka out of the frozen state she’d descended into. She texted a quick response to Marinette-

 **Juleka:** _Me too_

-and tucked the thoughts, too big and too new and too real, in the back of her brain to pick over later, slipping her phone into her pocket. Instead of continuing her crisis, Juleka walked past the food to the bar and asked for three glasses of champagne that she assured the bartender were not for her. Then she made her way back through the crowd towards her parents.

“No, Ang, I don’t. And yes, I know it’s been almost a decade since the divorce, I don’t need you to tell me that,” Aunt Gwendoline was saying as Juleka approached.

“I just think that settling back down-” Mrs. Couffaine started, causing Aunt Gwendoline to roll her eyes. She caught Juleka’s gaze.

“Ah, your daughter’s back,” Aunt Gwendoline interrupted, smiling at Juleka and holding out her hand for a champagne flute. “Thank you.” She took a long drink of the champagne while Juleka handed the remaining flutes to her parents. “You know, she is so helpful and well-mannered. Wish _my_ daughter was like that,” Aunt Gwendoline said, turning her smile to Juleka’s parents. It wasn’t the first time they’d talked about Juleka like she wasn’t there, but it still made her want to squirm a little. She ducked her head, wishing her bangs were free to cover her face.

“Yes, she’s quite competent,” Mr. Couffaine agreed. Juleka peeked up at him, surprised. She could count the number of compliments she’d received from her parents on one hand. Usually she counted them allowing her into their presence as victory enough, but this-

“Yes, we’re going to be bringing her to China soon. She’s finally old enough to be of some use,” Mrs. Couffaine said.

 

Juleka froze.

 

_What?_

 

“What?” Juleka blurted, unable to contain the word. Three gazes shifted to Juleka in surprise, but she didn’t care about that like she normally would, because her mother had just said-

“We’re bringing you to China with us,” Mrs. Couffaine repeated. Juleka’s chest tightened painfully.

“But-” Juleka said.

 _But Rose, but school, but my home, but the history drawn over my walls, but Master Fu, but Adrien, but Marinette, but **Rose**_ , but-

“-I don’t know Chinese,” Juleka finished. Her world was crashing, but her parents would not care about her world now when they never had before.

“You’ll learn. You’re still young,” Mrs. Couffaine said, waving her hand dismissively. Juleka scrambled for something, anything, any argument, any reason why she needed to stay that her parents would accept, anything.

“Besides, French isn’t all that uncommon over there,” Mr. Couffaine said, starting off at a mile minute. “You’ll like China. There is so much history there, so much to learn, and you’ll get to work with us, which many people would love to do; not hard stuff yet, of course, you don’t know anything yet, but after a couple years you’ll probably be where most grad school archaeologists are and not many people get to-”

“No.”

Aunt Gwendoline and Juleka’s mother and Juleka’s father all looked at her with surprise plain on their faces. Their surprise was nothing compared to Juleka’s surprise at her own firm word, but they wanted her to go to China and she couldn’t go, she couldn’t, she-

“What?” Mrs. Couffaine asked at last, her eyes blown wide.

“I’m not going to China,” Juleka said, setting her shoulders against her own panic, against the impossible tightness in her chest.

“We are your parents-” Mr. Couffaine started, uncertainty flooding his body, his voice.

“Are you?” Juleka demanded, once again surprising herself. This time, it couldn’t compare to the shock that dropped the jaws of her mother and father and even her aunt. Juleka didn’t know where her words were coming from, these terrible truths, didn’t know what to do, didn’t want to hear. “I’m not going to China,” Juleka repeated.

Then she turned and she fled.

Juleka was out of the ballroom before her parents had time to call her back, before she knew where she was going. She was through the halls and out some sort of door, the cold December air biting at her skin, before she collapsed against the frozen iron rail lining a cement platform overlooking a small parking lot, before the reality of the situation had time to crash down on her.

China. They wanted her to go to _China_. They wanted her to live with them full time, be with them all the time and work with them and help them and they trusted her to be helpful and not screw everything up, they thought of her that highly, they-

They wanted her to leave everything she loved behind in order to spend her life silent and still. They wanted her to leave behind the school she’d attended for years, the friends she’d grown to love, the girl she’d fallen in love with, they wanted her to leave Rose in order to spend her time _silent_ and _still_ , they-

“What are _you_ doing out here?” a voice asked, an all too familiar voice that made the words sharp and biting like cold air. Juleka froze yet again, her hands clasping the railing despite the fact that it was so cold it was almost burning her bare hands. She looked up with dread, already knowing who she was going to find.

Chloe was leaning against the wall, a long, fluffy white coat covering whatever dress she was wearing, her blonde hair twisted up on top of her head. Her blue eyes were narrowed as they regarded Juleka with thinly veiled hostility.

“I didn’t know you were here,” Juleka said, unable to come up with much more in her present state of mind.

“You would have if you had _looked_. Would it have killed you to peek outside before dramatically throwing yourself against the railing?” Chloe demanded, her fist planted firmly on her hip.

“Not what I meant,” Juleka said. Chloe’s face somehow found a way to darken even more.

“I asked you a question,” Chloe said, glaring at Juleka. Juleka looked away, down at her hands, pale and white against the rail, because of the cold, because they rarely saw the sun, because Juleka was a naturally pale person, not like her mother, her-

“Why are you hiding?” Juleka asked, shoving everything to the back of her head with all of the other things she’d have to deal with later when she could use chalk to think in straight lines.

“Hey, I asked you _first_ -”

“Your mother didn’t think you were here, either,” Juleka said, looking up from her hands in time to see Chloe’s glare drop into a look of surprise.

“She- I-” Chloe started. For a moment it seemed as if she was actually going to say something to Juleka without hostility for the first time in…well, ever. But Chloe’s face closed again as quickly as it had opened and she resolutely turned away from her.

Juleka sighed, also turning away. She hadn’t really expected much else, but so many things had gone sideways tonight. She’d voluntarily stepped away from her parents, why shouldn’t Chloe let her guard down for the first time since she’d cornered Juleka in pre-school and made her promise to keep her secret? It’d be so easy right now, in a cold parking lot, with everything falling apart, to finally ask her why.

Why no one could know they were cousins.

Juleka looked down at her hands again, saw that they were starting to turn blue. She pried them off of the rail, barely registering the moment when her numb hands lost contact with the icy metal. She realized then that she was shivering and it occurred to her that she should probably find somewhere else to continue her breakdown, some place that wasn’t freezing and in close quarters with Chloe, who still hadn’t said why she was hiding, but then again neither had Juleka. The questions sitting on Juleka’s tongue should wait until another day when her brain could actually handle more information, when she wasn’t numb inside and out, when-

“How do you do it?” Chloe asked quietly. It was Juleka’s turn to be surprised, turning to look at Chloe to confirm that the vulnerable question had indeed come from her. Chloe’s arms were crossed over her chest, her eyes fixed on the ground.

“Do what?” Juleka asked carefully. Chloe’s eyes darted up to Juleka’s in a sharp glare before falling back down again.

“ _You_ know,” Chloe muttered. Juleka waited, but Chloe didn’t elaborate.

“I don’t,” Juleka said.

“How do you get close to them?” Chloe burst out, her arms flying out of their crossed position.

“Who?” Juleka asked, completely bewildered.

“ _Everyone_ ,” Chloe said, flinging her arms out wide. “Your parents, my mother, everyone at school, _Adrien_.” Chloe slammed one fist back on her hip, gesturing at Juleka with the other. “How do you do it? You’re not pretty, you’re not rich, you’re not interesting, not like _me_. So how do you get them to _like_ you? How?” Chloe’s torrent of words ended with a stomp of her foot and an impressive glare. Juleka blinked at her, trying to absorb Chloe’s words, trying to get them to make sense, trying to figure out what Chloe wanted her to say.

“Our parents don’t like me,” Juleka said at last, latching onto the one part she could answer.

“Oh, _really_?” Chloe drawled. “Then why do they let you stay?”

“They can’t make you leave if they don’t notice you’re there,” Juleka said. Chloe’s face dropped in surprise for the second time in less than five minutes. Juleka shrugged, looking away. “If I stay quiet and still, they tolerate me. Doesn’t mean they like me. Doesn’t mean they actually talk to me more than they talk to you.” Juleka glanced back up at Chloe, caught the sadness in her face before it shuttered into a glare again.

“Boo hoo,” Chloe said, her face twisting in a sneer. Juleka felt her chest tighten. “Poor Juleka doesn’t get as much attention as she wants.”

“I wouldn’t call standing within five feet of them _attention_ ,” Juleka said slowly, trying to keep her voice even. She couldn’t let Chloe under her skin, not when it was already so fragile, couldn’t-

“Oh, _please_ ,” Chloe said with a wave of her hand. “It’s a hell of a lot more than I get.”

“What _you_ get?” Juleka burst out. She was surprised at the bitterness in her own voice. But not surprised enough to stop. “You mean a parent that actually pays attention to you?”

“When he isn’t busy paying attention to all of Paris,” Chloe said, hands balling into fists at her sides.

“At least he’s _in_ Paris,” Juleka said. She could feel herself sliding further and further from control, losing her temper, losing-

“My _mother’s_ in Paris and _you_ talk to her more than _I_ do,” Chloe hissed.

“No, I _don’t_ ,” Juleka replied, frustrated memories of the _seventeen_  words she’d received from Aunt Gwendoline that night flashing through her head. “I nod and stand there and hope they won’t send me away.”

“Yeah, just like they do to me _every year_.”

“Like they’ve done to both of us,” Juleka shouted, her voice ripping out of her throat so loudly it echoed.

Juleka and Chloe blinked at each other in surprise.

Silence.

Juleka wondered when she’d last raised her voice that way. She wondered if she ever had.

Juleka sighed.

“This…this isn’t the Crappy Life Olympics, Chloe,” she said quietly. Chloe looked away from her, her hands clenching and unclenching at her sides.

Silence.

“What about everyone at school?” Chloe asked after a long moment. She rolled her eyes when Juleka only looked at her, her confusion evident. “You can’t tell me you ninja-ed your way into being friends with them and you can’t tell me they don’t like you.”

Juleka considered Chloe carefully. She could tell her about how she became friends with Rose or Nathanaël or Ivan or even Alix, but she knew that Chloe didn’t care about them. Chloe wanted to know how she’d become friends with Adrien and Marinette. She wanted to know about the new friendships that had sprung up overnight and baffled Juleka just as much they did Chloe and that were at least partially based on huge secrets that Juleka couldn’t and wouldn’t tell.

“I don’t know,” Juleka admitted, which was at least partially true, because yes, Juleka knew their secrets, but she still, _still_ didn’t get why they wanted to be her friend outside of that.

“Liar,” Chloe spat. “ _Tell_ me.”

“I don’t know, Chloe,” Juleka repeated, suddenly tired, so tired.

“How can you not know?” Chloe asked, her voice losing its angry edge. Now, she sounded more desperate than hostile.

“I-”

“How can people just _like_ you and you don’t know how?”

“I don’t think--”

“You’re _nobody_ , how can they like you?”

“Chloe-”

“They don’t even care that you’re gay.”

“What?”

“You have to know how you do it, you have to, _tell me_ ,” Chloe said, her hands clenched in fists at her sides, her eyes boring into Juleka’s face. Juleka stared back at her, unsure of what to say, how to help.

“Chloe,” Juleka said softly, holding her empty palms out next to her, shaking her head slowly. Chloe seemed to deflate then, collapsing against the wall and crossing her arms tightly over her chest again, her eyes sliding away from Juleka’s. Silence lengthened between them and Juleka leaned back against the rail, ignoring the cold branding her through her dress, eating its way into her bones, setting her muscles shivering.

“I wish…” Chloe said finally, slowly, as if the words were being pulled out of her. Juleka watched her and waited. “It’s just that sometimes you…” Chloe let out an annoyed huff, crossing her arms even more tightly and turning her whole head away. When she continued, her voice was little more than a whisper. “I’m just tired of feeling so…

“Empty.”

Silence.

Chloe glanced back at Juleka out of the corner of her eye. Then she pushed away from the wall and started towards the stairs in an explosive movement. Juleka thought that that was it, that the moment was over, that Chloe had finally realized who she was talking to, but she stopped at the top, turning around abruptly, her hands balled once more at her sides, her face screwed up in what could have been a glare, but looked a lot more like pain.

“If you tell anyone about this, I’ll- I’ll-” Chloe stomped her foot, her frustration echoing across her face as she avoided Juleka’s eyes. “I’ll find some way to make you pay.” Then she turned and flew down the stairs. And then she was gone.

Juleka stayed in her place at the railing.

She ignored the cold and she ignored the wind picking up slowly but steadily and she ignored the buzzing at her hip.

And she let herself wonder what her life had become.

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Later, after Juleka had made it home and after she had changed into her normal clothes and before she searched for space on her walls amongst the roses to think about what had happened that night, how everything had unraveled, and before the cold had completely left her bones, Juleka pulled out her phone to see what had made it vibrate earlier that night.

 **Rose:** _How did the party go?_

Juleka sighed. She briefly considered ignoring the message, but then she remembered that this was Rose and so she scrounged up the brainpower to type out a reply.

 **Juleka:** _Fine._

She moved to toss the phone on the bed and jumped when it started vibrating, lighting up with an incoming call. Juleka stared at Rose’s caller ID for a moment before answering it.

“Rose?” Juleka asked when the call connected.

“ _Juleka_ ,” Rose said, her voice immediately loosening Juleka’s chest, just a little. “ _What happened?_ ”

“What-” Juleka started.

“ _Last year you sent me what was practically an essay after the party_ ,” Rose said with a soft giggle. It faded quickly, concern replacing the amusement in her voice. “ _What happened, Juleka? Are you okay?_ ”

Juleka entertained the notion of not telling her for an impressive thirty seconds. She thought about keeping it inside, not worrying her, pretending everything was fine, that she was fine, figuring it out on her own. However, Juleka was out of bandwidth and Rose was so concerned and-

“My parents want to take me to China,” Juleka said. Silence echoed across the line as Rose absorbed Juleka’s words.

“ _What?_ ” Rose squeaked. “ _They- they want-_ ”

“They want me to go work with them in China,” Juleka said. She stepped forward and collapsed on her bed, staring up at the ceiling as she pressed her phone to her ear.

“ _Oh, Juleka,_ ” Rose breathed. “ _I- I don’t-_ ” Juleka closed her eyes.

“I don’t want to go, Rose. I know they’re my parents and…but…” Juleka stopped, trying to find words to express what she’d realized before this bomb had even been dropped, before she had been able to put words to it. She sighed. “I don’t want to leave you.”

“ _Oh, sweet Juleka,_ ” Rose said. Juleka heard a quiet sniffle. “ _I’m so sorry._ ”

"Yeah," Juleka said, out of words and out of energy to deal with thing after thing after thing-

" _At least you'll get to be with them, right?_ " Rose said tentatively, badly concealing another sniffle.

“I know, but I just- I just don’t want to leave,” Juleka repeated quietly, listening to the sounds of Rose crying through her phone and wishing that she could be there wipe the tears away like she always did.

Then a quiet knock sounded.

Juleka’s first instinct was to look to the window for Chat Noir, but there was no dark shape looming outside, waiting to be let in. Which meant that someone was at her bedroom door. Which meant…

Juleka was up and opening her bedroom door before she could fully register what she was doing and then she was face to face with her mother, still in her elegant dress, but with her hair let down and her shoes off. She had that look on her face, like she didn’t know the answer to a question, but there was something else there, like muted sorrow. Or, more likely, disappointment.

“May I come in?” Mrs. Couffaine asked. Juleka blinked, blinked again, then stepped aside, allowing her mother to walk past her into the room. Mrs. Couffaine stopped when she looked up, taking in the walls. Juleka realized that Mrs. Couffaine hadn’t been in the room in years. Even before they’d gone to China, they’d seldom set foot in Juleka’s room.

“ _Juleka?_ ” Rose asked tentatively. Juleka jumped, so caught off guard by her mother’s presence that she’d forgotten that Rose was still on the phone. Juleka cast a glance at Mrs. Couffaine, who was still examining Juleka’s packed walls, before answering.

“I have to go,” Juleka said quietly. Mrs. Couffaine’s gaze snapped to Juleka, then to the phone in Juleka’s hand. “I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

“ _Okay, Juleka,_ ” Rose said. Juleka could hear the concern heavy in Rose’s voice. “ _I- Good luck?_ ”

“Thanks,” Juleka said, then hung up. She looked back up at her mother apprehensively, the tension so heavy in the air, Juleka could practically taste it. After a moment of staring, Juleka gestured towards the couch. “Would you like to sit down?” Juleka asked. Mrs. Couffaine looked around at the couch and moved over to sit down on it, elegant even when she was extraordinarily awkward. Juleka sat down next to her and waited for her to get to the reason she’d ventured into her room.

“Was that a friend of yours?” Mrs. Couffaine asked at last, nodding at Juleka’s phone. Juleka nodded. “That girl, Marinette? Or Mr. Kubdel’s daughter…Alix?”

“No,” Juleka said. She hesitated before continuing. “Her name’s Rose.”

“Which came first?” Mrs. Couffaine asked. Juleka raised an eyebrow at her. “Rose or the roses?” When Juleka kept looking at her, Mrs. Couffaine turned her gaze to the walls where roses were slowly but surely taking over, then she looked back down at Juleka, raising an eyebrow of her own.

“Oh,” Juleka said, feeling her cheeks heat up. She ducked her head, allowing her newly freed bangs to cover her face before she reluctantly pushed them back behind her ear. “Rose.” She glanced up at her mother, saw her considering the walls thoughtfully.

“What’s she…like?” Mrs. Couffaine asked. Juleka stared at her for a long moment, trying to comprehend what was happening here.

“Wonderful,” Juleka said, unable to think far enough to say something that wouldn’t make Mrs. Couffaine’s eyebrow rise again. She hesitated, then plunged on. “You could meet her. If you wanted.” They’d never been in the same city before, but now, when Rose got back Christmas Eve, maybe they could convince Rose’s parents to let them get together during the day so that they could meet, all of them, and her parents could know the most important person in her life and also the closest thing she had to _real_ parents and-

“I assume that that’s what a parent should do,” Mrs. Couffaine said with a sigh. Juleka stared at her again. Mrs. Couffaine’s eyebrows furrowed, her gaze fixed on the mural, her face more open than Juleka had ever seen it. “We recognize that we are not always…sufficient, in our duties as parents.” Mrs. Couffaine laughed a small, bitter laugh. “The Leblanc women were just not made to be mothers.” She looked up, seemed to recognize for the first time that Juleka was there. Her face shifted, closing off, becoming impassive once again.

“Our decision to bring you to China was a logical one, intended to...But we see the error of that decision now.”

Juleka looked at her mother, barely fighting past her bemusement and disbelief to allow herself to hope that she was saying what she seemed to be saying. They had _listened_ when she said she wouldn’t go, they had realized that she didn’t want-

“You showed tonight that you aren’t mature enough to go,” Mrs. Couffaine said.

Juleka looked at her mother, barely fighting past a brand new impulse to hit her.

“You wouldn’t be very helpful in our work, emotional as you’ve proven to be,” Mrs. Couffaine said, apparently unaware of the effect her words had on her daughter. “So you may stay here and continue as you have.” Then she stood and began walking towards the door, quite as if she hadn’t just torn her daughter’s hope in half.

“Wait,” Juleka blurted just as Mrs. Couffaine reached the doorway. She turned back to look at Juleka. “Are you going to meet Rose?” Mrs. Couffaine regarded her for a moment before softening.

“When?” she asked, quite as if she was actually considering it.

“She gets back Christmas Eve, three days from now,” Juleka said. She didn’t hold her breath for this one, didn’t think it safe.

“Our plane leaves tomorrow afternoon,” Mrs. Couffaine said, quite as if she wasn’t burning all of her daughter’s hopes to the ground. “Sorry,” she said as she opened the door and left, quite as if that was enough.

Juleka stayed where she was on the couch and tried and tried and tried to decide what she needed to break down about first. She wiped away the tears slipping down her cheeks one after another, silent things wrung out of a heart that couldn’t quite handle anything more. She left the couch and slipped into her bed, sending one last text before she allowed unconsciousness to solve her problems.

 **Juleka:** _I’m staying._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm baaaaaack. Sorry for the long hiatus guys. Now that I've gotten through this chapter (thank god I've gotten through this chapter), I should be updating a lot more regularly and not dropping off the face of the earth for a month.
> 
> We finally learned Chloe's Big Bad Secret! If you are disgruntled or want to know more about it, go check out [this tumblr post I made about it](http://secretlyalya.tumblr.com/post/150003377829/for-those-of-you-that-havent-read-the-most-recent) before yelling at me.
> 
> And if you want to yell at me about other things or have questions, I'm on tumblr @[secretlyalya](http://secretlyalya.tumblr.com/) and I always respond to comments...even a month after the fact.
> 
>  
> 
> Next: we haven't seen Rose in a while...


	20. Return of the Fluff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juleka causes some concern.

10:34 PM  
**Juleka:** _I’m staying_

10:40 PM  
**Rose:** _What???????_  
**Rose:** _What happened????_  
**Rose:** _That’s good, right???_  
**Rose:** _I mean, you didn’t want to go and now you get to stay here_

10:45 PM  
**Rose:** _Juleka?_

10:47 PM  
**Rose:** _Are you okay?_

10:50 PM  
**Rose:** _Juleka???_

10:51 PM  
**Rose:** _I have to get back to bed before my parents notice I’m up, but TEXT ME, okay?_

 

7:32 AM  
**Rose:** _I don’t know if you need space or_  
**Rose:** _But I really hope you’re okay Juleka_  
**Rose:** _We’re leaving now, but I’ll still answer! If you want to text me!_  
**Rose:** _Papa and maman can deal without me in the alphabet game_  
**Rose:** _Though it’s getting really intense now_  
**Rose:** _Papa really likes to win the alphabet game_

8:07 AM  
**Rose:** _Should a billboard really count as a b??? Too easy, y or n?_

8:20 AM  
**Rose:** _Lucas says to tell you hi_  
**Rose:** _He also says to tell you that we saw a cow_

8:25 AM  
**Rose:** _Now he wants to know if you’ve ever seen a cow before_

9:01 AM  
**Rose:** _You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to, but…_  
**Rose:** _You’re really worrying me Juleka_

9:16 AM  
**Rose:** _Papa won the alphabet game_  
**Rose:** _Lucas is pretending to be surprised_  
**Rose:** _When did you teach him sarcasm???_

9:30 AM  
**Rose:** _I love you_

9:45 AM  
**Rose:** _Juleka?_

9:54 AM  
**Rose:** _Please just tell me you’re okay?_

10:11 AM  
**Rose:** _Juleka???_

10:25 AM  
**Rose:** _If I have to text Nath or Marinette or Adrien to come check on you I will_

10:29 AM  
**Rose:** _Okay, I won’t do that, I don’t think you’d like that_

10:45 AM  
**Rose:** _Papa is getting annoyed that I keep texting you_  
**Rose:** _But I’m not stopping until you answer_  
**Rose:** _Wow I’ve sent you a lot of messages_  
**Rose:** _I’m so sorry I didn’t even realize_  
**Rose:** _No wait I’m not sorry I need to know you’re okay_  
**Rose:** _Okay I’m a little sorry_

 **Juleka:** _Rose_

 **Rose:** _Oh my god thank goodness you’re okay_  
**Rose:** _I was so scared oh my god_  
**Rose:** _Thank you for answering I’m sorry I spammed you_  
**Rose:** _Oh wait ARE you okay??????_  
**Rose:** _I just assumed oh my goodness I’m so so sorry_  
**Rose:** _You can tell me about it or_  
**Rose:** _I can leave you alone or_  
**Rose:** _Oh my goodness you probably just wanted to be left alone this entire time_  
**Rose:** _And I’ve been texting you like EVERY TEN MINUTES oh gosh_  
**Rose:** _I’m so so so sorry_

 **Juleka:** _Rose. Breathe._

 **Rose:** _Right_  
**Rose:** _Sorry_  
**Rose:** _You go_  
**Rose:** _I’ll stop_

 **Juleka:** _First, I really am okay_

 **Rose:** _Oh thank god_  
**Rose:** _Sorry, stopping, sorry_

 **Juleka:** _Second, don’t worry about your influx of texts_  
**Juleka:** _I just woke up, which is why I wasn’t responding. And seeing all of your messages…it really helped. So much_  
**Juleka:** _Thank you_  
**Juleka:** _I’m sorry I worried you_  
**Juleka:** _You can go now_

 **Rose:** _I’m glad I could help <3<3<3_  
**Rose:** _Do you want to talk about it?_  
**Rose:** _You don’t have to!!!_  
**Rose:** _But if you want to…_

 **Juleka:** _I want to tell you but_  
**Juleka:** _There’s just so much I don’t_  
**Juleka:** _It’s hard to text it, write it down_  
**Juleka:** _Does that make sense? I want to tell you, I really do_

 **Rose:** _I get it_  
**Rose:** _Do you want me to call?_

 **Juleka:** _But your parents_

 **Rose:** _Can deal with me stepping away from the world’s biggest cruise ship for a while_

 **Juleka:** _...okay_

 **Rose:** _Give me ten minutes!_

Juleka set her phone down with a sigh, shifting uncomfortably in the clothes she hadn’t taken the time to change, trying to decide if it was worth it to drag herself out of bed in search of fresh ones. But bright sunlight and warm blankets had Juleka cocooned in something that felt a lot like safety and she didn’t really want to move even if she _could_ find a scrap of energy.

She felt so drained. Like she had run a marathon and capped it off by swimming the English Channel. She _had_ run a marathon of sorts, if only an emotional one. Juleka was no stranger to emotional exercise but last night…

Juleka sighed again. She needed to begin organizing the events of the night before in her mind if she was going to tell Rose. They seemed strangely far away, like they had happened somewhere else, to someone else, like they couldn’t possibly be real. Juleka was numb, she knew she was numb, but she also knew the numbness couldn’t last forever and the alternative…

Juleka organized the story like she was editing an essay and stepped carefully through her memories to avoid kicking up the dust. She didn’t want to breathe those emotions again, not if she could help it. Didn’t want to think about the tightness that had squeezed in her chest, the hope that had spilled in her stomach all warm like the sunlight on her face, the crashing, crushing feeling that had replaced it when her mother told her why, told her that she- that she-

Juleka jumped when her phone rang, the loud, bubbly sound of a skype call filling the room and dragging her out of her brain. She scrambled for her phone (she had just set it down, how did it disappear?) and accepted the call. It didn’t escape her and didn’t surprise her that she breathed a little easier when Rose’s face filled the screen.

“Juleka!” Rose exclaimed as soon as the call connected. She was sitting against a white wall, but Juleka could hear the faint buzz of many voices in the background, punctuated by what sounded like a boat horn. Rose’s face was bright with a smile, but Juleka could read the concern underneath.

“Hey, Rose,” Juleka said, a smile spreading across her face to match Rose’s. If last night had felt distant before, it felt years away now, safe in Rose’s gaze.

“So…” Rose said slowly, her smile fading a little. Juleka sighed. She could tell that this was going to be a sighing conversation. It was already a sighing morning.

“So,” Juleka said, steeling herself to speak. Already, it was a little easier to think with Rose looking at her, even through a screen, but it still felt like walking into a minefield. Rose offered a hesitant smile and Juleka tucked it close to her heart as armor before plunging in.

Juleka told Rose about arriving at the party. She told her about realizing that she maybe didn’t want her parents around anymore. She talked about coming back and hearing her mother reveal her impending move, standing up to her parents for perhaps the first time and feeling like the world was coming apart (Rose’s face struggled to hold back her sadness at this, but she continued to listen), but also like there was a fire in her veins that hadn’t been there before, a growth she hadn’t realized happened.

She skipped her conversation with Chloe, the emotions laid bare outside in a freezing parking lot, didn’t feel like those were secrets she could tell even if they were eating her just as much as everything else was.

So Juleka moved on to getting home, overwhelmed and tired and in desperate need of time to think and unpack what was in her head, but then her mother was there and she seemed like she was interested for the very first time and she was asking questions and she wanted to meet Rose (Rose’s face went through a complicated series of emotions at this, but she continued to listen) and she offered what appeared to be understanding, what looked a lot like hope, what felt a little like love.

And then Juleka told Rose, as best she could, about the moment all of that hope dissolved into gunpowder waiting to be lit inside her head, about her mother turning stony and telling her that the growth she had thought she’d gained was apparently nothing more than immaturity and a liability (Rose’s face turned fierce at this, but she continued to listen) and how she wasn’t staying like Juleka had thought and they were leaving again, again, again, not even staying for the holidays, not even _trying_ to stay, not even trying.

And she wasn’t meeting Rose.

Juleka talked about how she felt like them leaving was tearing her apart, but it shouldn’t, it shouldn’t, not when she was so used to it, not when she _didn’t even want them around_ , it shouldn’t hurt this much. And Juleka found herself breathing those emotions in again even though she’d tried not to, oh she was breathing them. In with a sadness that ached like frostbite and out with an anger burned like whiskey, in and out and in and out, interrupted only by a gasp of confusion about why she felt this way at all, it shouldn’t be this way, it shouldn’t-

“Juleka,” Rose said, her voice soft, soft enough to drag Juleka out of the memories, out of the mire of emotions she’d sunk herself in. Juleka was surprised to find tears on their cheeks, both hers and Rose’s. “Oh, my sweet Juleka.”

“I don’t-” Juleka started, trying to find more words to express, to communicate, to tell Rose about the dust and the gunpowder and the emotions, about how she had thought she was done crying about this, about how so much had happened all at once, one thing after another after another, like the universe wasn’t content with just one tragedy, like it couldn’t rain without pouring.

“Shhh,” Rose said. Her eyes were wide and her lower lip was trembling even as she did her best to soothe, leaning against a wall hours away. “It’s okay, Juleka. It- it’ll be okay. You’re staying here, with me, and everything will be okay.”

“I’m okay,” Juleka repeated, trying to believe it the way she had a mere thirty minutes earlier. She held her legs close to her chest and kept her eyes fixed on Rose’s face and tried to feel okay. She listened to Rose babble, her voice floating above the noise surrounding her wherever she was, the sound washing over her, clearing away the dust.

“Hey, Rose?” Juleka asked quietly, interrupting Rose mid-assurance.

“Yes?” Rose asked, her face concerned all over again, even though the tears had been wiped away.

“Tell me about where you are?” Juleka asked. Rose’s face softened, the concern not quite retreating, but stepping aside for quiet affection.

“We’re at the harbor at Saint-Nazare,” Rose said, her voice slipping into the quick-paced excitement it always did when she told stories. Her eyes lit up as she looked over the camera, taking in some view Juleka couldn’t see. Juleka felt herself relaxing as Rose picked up momentum, babbling again, but this time about happy things. Normal things. “Oh, Juleka, it’s so beautiful here. You wouldn’t think that a port could be beautiful, or at least _I_ didn’t think a port could be beautiful, but the ships passing by and the water and the beaches, they’re all wonderful! And the town is so old and pretty. We’re looking at the Harmony of the Seas right now, the world’s biggest cruise ship? It’s really impressive. Like a city on the water.”

“And your parents really didn’t mind you stepping away? You aren’t going to get in trouble?” Juleka asked, tensing a little again.

“No,” Rose said, her firm voice somewhat at odds with the carefree wave of her hand. “They knew that I was worried. Even _Lucas_ knew something was up.” Rose giggled at that and Juleka even managed a smile.

“Well, Lucas is arguably the smartest one out of all of us.” Juleka shrugged, then allowed a sly smile to tug at her lips. “And you _did_ send thirty-five text messages before I answered.”

“It wasn’t _thirty-five,_ ” Rose protested, her lips sinking into a pout as she started fiddling with her phone, the camera jiggling as she maneuvered. Juleka watched, amusement warming her chest and loosening her limbs, as Rose mouthed numbers, her face screwed up in concentration. And then it changed to horror, her free hand flying up to her cheek. “Oh my gosh I sent you thirty-five messages! Oh, Juleka, I’m so sorry.” Juleka laughed at that, shaking her head a little.

“It’s okay, Rose,” Juleka said. “I already said that I enjoyed waking up to your commentary. You can tell Lucas that I have, in fact, seen a cow.”

“Good,” Rose said, her face softening again and her hand shifting so that her chin rested on it. “He’ll be very excited.” They were silent for a moment, just drinking in the sight of one another.

“Juleka,” Rose started, taking a deep breath. Her cheeks were turning pink and her eyes were widening and she seemed rather shy. “Would you like to, I mean if we can, if I can get them to agree, would you, maybe-” Rose stopped abruptly when her eyes caught on something off screen. Her eyes widened and then she let out a short sigh, turning sad eyes back to the camera. “My family’s heading this way, I better go.” Juleka sighed too, but she nodded.

“Okay. Thank you for- for helping me,” Juleka said.

“Of course,” Rose said, smiling warmly out of the screen. “I’ll see you soon. I love you.”

“I love you too,” Juleka said. And then the screen went dark. She sighed once more.

Juleka was back to a strange sort of numbness. It felt a little like a healing wound. Sure, if she poked it, it hurt (a lot), but it wasn’t taking the stage at the forefront of her brain anymore. She could think past it. Of course, this meant that Juleka could think about how distinctly uncomfortable she was. Her clothes were twisted and stiff, her mouth tasted disgusting, and she was starving. Juleka turned her mind to other things and allowed her annoyance to finally drag her out bed. Slowly, but surely, she moved on with her life.

She took a shower, she ate breakfast, she sketched a little.

She ignored the suitcases waiting by the front door.

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

Later, after hearing the front door open and close and lock, Juleka set aside her sketchpad, hunted down her phone and sent a text.

 **Juleka:** _Guess what?_

The response was quick as it always was.

 **Marinette:** _What?_

 **Juleka:** _I can do Christmas with you guys_  
**Juleka:** _If that’s still okay_

 **Marinette:** _!!!!!!!!!!_  
**Marinette:** _If that’s still ok, she says. Of course it’s ok! I’m so excited!_  
**Marinette:** _Wait, what about your parents?_

Juleka sighed. She’d probably have to explain what happened to Marinette at some point, but she didn’t want to stir up the dust right now, poke the open wound. So, she sent the bare minimum and hoped it would suffice.

 **Juleka:** _…_

 **Marinette:** _They didn’t_  
**Marinette:** _Jules tell me they did not leave before xmas_

 **Juleka:** _Do you want me to lie to you or…_

 **Marinette:** _OH MY GOD_  
**Marinette:** _Are u ok???_  
**Marinette:** _Permission to call your parents asshats?_

 **Juleka:** _Yes and permission granted_

 **Marinette:** _GOOD BC UR PARENTS ARE ASSHATS_  
**Marinette:** _MAMAN SECONDS THAT_  
**Marinette:** _And she would like me to tell u that of course u r welcome for xmas and also any other time ever_  
**Marinette:** _She looks kinda scary rn_  
**Marinette:** _I think I might have to convince her not to beat ur parents up_  
**Marinette:** _It’ll be hard. Bc I also wanna beat ur parents up_  
**Marinette:** _Papa is pretty much the only voice of reason here_  
**Marinette:** _Except he is also very angry so…_

Juleka laughed out loud and kept laughing until Marinette bullied her into coming over. And then she downgraded to a smile.

 

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Later, hours and hours later, after Juleka had spent the afternoon and part of the evening at the Dupain-Cheng house, after she’d eaten dinner with them and laughed with them and lost at videogames with them, after she’d almost managed to forget everything for a little while, Juleka sat down on her bed and fished a buzzing phone out of her pocket. She was a little surprised to see Rose’s caller ID.

“Rose?” Juleka asked when she answered, beating her déjà vu back into a corner.

“ _Juleka! Hi!_ ” Rose answered, her voice slightly higher than usual. She’d only said two words, but Juleka could already tell she was nervous about something. Juleka waited for Rose to continue. But silence stretched between them.

“What’s up?” Juleka asked. She heard a quiet squeak over the line.

“ _Nothing! Nothing’s up, I just, um…I wanted to talk to you! Just talk. About nothing. Nothing at all. Absolutely-_ ”

“Rose,” Juleka interrupted, doing her best to withhold a laugh. She heard another squeak. Then she heard Rose take a deep breath.

“ _Actually, um, I wanted to ask you something?_ ” Rose said tentatively. Juleka hummed acknowledgement and waited, giving Rose space to say what she wanted to say. “ _Do you, maybe, and you can say no if you want, I just thought that maybe it’d be nice if we could, but you really don’t have to, it’s no pressure-_ ”

“Rose,” Juleka said, unable to hold in a quiet chuckle. “Just ask.” She heard another deep breath.

“ _Doyouwannagoonadatewithme?_ ” Rose rattled off the words at high speed, leaving Juleka blinking, trying to make sense of the words.

“A date?” Juleka asked, a little incredulous.

“ _Yeah, I talked to my parents earlier and they said we could spend Christmas Eve together,_ ” Rose said. Juleka flopped back down on the bed and tried to absorb that information. Rose, in typical Rose fashion, kept talking. “ _During the day, of course, not the night, because it’s Christmas Eve, but I was thinking we could, I don’t know, do something? Together? As a date? Like I said, you really don’t have to if you don’t want to and you might want to spend that day with Marinette since you’re doing Christmas with her family. Oh, that’s probably what you want to do. I’m sorry, let’s just forget I-_ ”

“Yes,” Juleka blurted, sitting up so fast her head spun a little.

“ _W-what?_ ”

“Yes, I’ll go on a date with you Christmas Eve,” Juleka said past the lump in her throat where her heart seemed to have migrated.

“ _Oh!_ ” Rose exclaimed. Juleka’s face split into a grin. “ _Okay! Then we’re going on a date! Alright!_ ”

“Alright,” Juleka said, chuckling softly.

“ _I need to get back to bed, but I’ll talk to you tomorrow?_ ” Rose asked.

“Tomorrow,” Juleka agreed.

“ _I love you,_ ” Rose whispered, like she was telling a secret.

“I love you too,” Juleka whispered back. Then the call ended.

Juleka stayed sitting, silent and still, for a good minute.

And then it registered and she let out a laugh and she sprang off the bed and she paced the room.

Juleka was going on a date. With Rose. A date with Rose. In _just two days_. Not even forty-eight hours. Christmas Eve. A _date_.

You’d think that Juleka would be more used to the idea of going on a date with a girl she’d been _dating_ for _weeks_. But those weeks had mostly consisted of hanging out at Rose’s house and holding hands at school. So Juleka was not used to it, and she was not prepared for it, and she was more excited than she had been for anything, perhaps ever (even her first real Christmas).

Juleka, after adding a few roses to her walls because she obviously didn’t have enough, went to bed that night with a light heart and excitement buzzing in her veins.

Juleka was going on a date with Rose. In just thirty-six hours…

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Juleka woke up the next morning, tired from lack of sleep, but still buzzing, still wired.

Only twenty-six hours…

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Juleka, sitting on Adrien’s couch in Adrien’s house, tried to listen to Adrien’s story about one of the photo shoots he had been forced to attend, his vicarious excitement about the Christmas she would be attending, his complaints about the upcoming Christmas party he would be forced to attend. She really tried. But there it was, in the back of her head, drawing her attention again and again.

Twenty-three hours… 

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Juleka ate the food she’d made for herself absentmindedly, automatically, her hand moving practically of its own accord. She had bigger things to think about than food. Like where she’d take Rose tomorrow. Like what she was going to wear. Like what _Rose_ was going to wear.

Seventeen hours…

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“ _We’ll be getting back into town somewhere around ten, so I was thinking we could meet at eleven?_ ” Rose asked, the excitement in her voice matching the excitement beating against Juleka’s rib cage.

“Sounds good,” Juleka said. She hesitated and then continued. “Do you want to come over to my house when you’re ready? And we could leave from here. I have some ideas on what we could do…”

“ _I thought the person who asked had to plan the date,_ ” Rose giggled.

“Oh,” Juleka said, mentally backpedaling. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to take that away. You can-”

“ _Juleka, I’m just kidding. Whatever you have in mind will be great._ ”

Thirteen hours…

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Juleka was freaking out.

It surprised her to realize this, because she didn’t freak out a whole lot, and because there wasn’t a real reason to freak out, and because this was _Rose_. But the fact remained: she was freaking out. She was standing in front of her open closet, half dressed, clothes strewn around the room like a hurricane had passed through. Her hair was a mess, she had circles under her eyes, she was second guessing her date plans, and she was _freaking out._

So Juleka did the one thing she could think to do. She pulled out her phone and sent the same text to two people.

 **Juleka:** _SOS_

And then she sat down on her bed and tried to forestall the panic until someone could come sort her out.

Honestly, Juleka should have known better.

 **Marinette:** _Omg are u ok??_  
**Marinette:** _Are u in danger??_

 **Adrien:** _What’s wrong!?_

 **Marinette:** _There isn’t any news of an akuma attack. Where are you???_

 **Adrien:** _I’m coming._

 **Marinette:** _I’m heading for ur house I hope ur there. Just hold on_

 **Unknown Number:** _This is CN. I need to know where you are._  
**Unknown Number:** _I’m going to check your house first, please respond as soon as you get this_

Juleka stared down at her phone for a good minute before it registered:

Ladybug and Chat Noir were both heading towards her apartment at top speed in broad daylight.

Juleka’s thumbs sprang into action as a different kind of panic took hold.

 **Juleka:** _There is no akuma! I’m fine! I just needed regular, CIVILIAN help_  
**Juleka:** _CN does not need to show up at my apartment in THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY_

 **Unknown Number:** _Oh. Sorry. I’ll de-transform, be there in a sec._

Juleka let out a short sigh of relief at Chat’s prompt response, but stayed tense. Marinette wasn’t responding. Chances were, she’d already transformed and Juleka didn’t have Ladybug’s number, so there was no way to head her off. The situation was arguably worse now. Now, instead of two superheroes coming who _knew_ that Juleka had their identities, it was a superhero and a _civilian_ , who was supposed to be completely ignorant of Juleka’s inside knowledge.

Juleka scrambled around for a solution. Another text to Marinette wouldn’t fix anything, so she couldn’t head her off at all. She could text Adrien, tell him to wait, or not to come, but then he’d want to know why and he’d probably be a little hurt and Juleka kind of wanted his help (because she still had _that_ to panic about, _not the time, not the time_ ). Maybe she could-

Juleka was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she jumped when the doorbell rang. So much for that solution. She cast a worried glance out her window before heading for the front door.

“Hey, Jules,” Adrien said when Juleka opened the door. He looked a little concerned, but he was mostly relaxed. “What’s up?”

“Hey, Adrien,” Juleka replied, stepping aside to let Adrien in. “Sorry I worried you.” Adrien waved a hand in dismissal as he led the way to Juleka’s room. Plagg popped up above Adrien’s head, glaring.

“You _should_ be sorry. You interrupted some perfectly good camembert,” Plagg whined. Adrien swatted at him.

“Shut up, Plagg. Don’t worry about it, Jules. I’m just glad you’re okay,” Adrien said over his shoulder. He stopped when he opened the door to Juleka’s room and took in the carnage. He threw her a raised eyebrow. “You _are_ okay, right?”

“Yeah, I was just panicking. Because of the date,” Juleka said. She was still panicking because of the date, but she couldn’t really worry about that. Not when-

“Damn,” Juleka murmured. Adrien looked back at Juleka again, with a little more alarm in his face. Juleka was okay with that, because that meant that Adrien wasn’t looking at the flash of red streaking over the rooftops, clearly visible through the window. “Damn, I don’t have any food ready for you guys. Why don’t you go find something in the fridge? I’m pretty sure there’s camembert in there somewhere.”

“Jules, you really don’t have to-” Adrien started.

“This is why you’re my favorite, Jules,” Plagg interrupted, darting out of the room. Adrien shot an affronted look after him.

“Hey! She’s your favorite?” Adrien asked, indignant. Normally, this would have made Juleka smile, but she needed him out of the room, _now_.

“Better make sure he doesn’t eat it all,” Juleka said, gently shoving Adrien out of the room. She’d just barely closed the door when she heard a weight gently thump against the wall. Then a knock rang out against the glass of her window. She spun around to see Ladybug’s determined face hovering outside. Juleka winced, but crossed over and opened the window.

“There isn’t an akuma,” Juleka blurted immediately, holding up her hands to take Ladybug out of offense mode. She paused, cocking her head at Juleka.

“What?” Ladybug asked, thrown off and confused.

“There isn’t an akuma; I’m not in danger. I was just panicking about my date with Rose,” Juleka explained as quickly and quietly as she could.

“Oh. _Oh._  I’m sorry,” Ladybug said sheepishly.

“Yeah, yeah, me too,” Juleka said quickly, nervously glancing at her door. “Adrien is here, so you need to go back out that window and de-transform _now_.” Ladybug paled, but stayed where she was.

“Wait, back outside? Couldn’t I just-”

“Do you want to explain to Adrien how you got into my room?” Juleka asked, exasperation weighing out the panic momentarily. Ladybug paled even further before panic morphed back into determination.

“Right, I’ll see you in a moment,” Ladybug said, darting out of the window and out of sight. Juleka followed to close the window behind her.

“Okay, Jules, we’ve got snacks,” Adrien said, opening the bedroom door just as Juleka flipped the latch on the window.

“Great,” Juleka said, taking a deep breath before turning around. Adrien was standing in the doorway with a plate of bread and cheese, trying to swat Plagg away.

“Jules. Tell Adrien that one piece of camembert is _not_ enough,” Plagg demanded. Juleka took another breath, then shrugged, moving away from the window.

“I don’t know about that, but you’re going to want to get out of sight soon, Plagg. If you’re going to get cheese, get it now,” Juleka said. Plagg and Adrien exchanged a glance.

“Why does he need to be out of sight?” Adrien asked, throwing Juleka a curious glance as he carefully stepped over her clothes.

“Marinette is going to be here any-”

The doorbell rang, drawing three pairs of eyes towards the door.

“-second. Plagg, get your cheese.” Juleka didn’t stop to take in Adrien’s reaction, instead heading for the front door. She paused for a moment after closing her bedroom door, while she was out of sight of both of her friends. She took a moment to breath, allowed herself a quick flash of annoyance at herself for thinking this was a good idea, then pulled herself back together to go answer the front door, where Marinette was waiting.

“Hey, Jules,” Marinette said when Juleka swung open the door, a nervous grin pulling at her face. She glanced around the room quickly, then lowered her voice. “Sorry about that. I really thought-”

“You’re fine,” Juleka interrupted. “I should have known better than to phrase it that way. I promise that in the future I’ll only send an SOS in events of real danger.” Juleka gestured for Marinette to pass her into the apartment, then took the lead towards her bedroom. “Thanks for coming to my rescue, though.”

“Of course,” Marinette said, letting out a quiet giggle. “Couldn’t just leave you to the clutches of an akuma.”

“Of course not,” Juleka said, intentionally raising her voice so that Adrien, and more importantly Plagg, would know that they were coming. She opened her bedroom door a little slower than she would have normally, just to ensure that all magical fairy creatures were safely hidden away.

“Hey, Marinette,” Adrien said, waving his hand from where he was sitting on Juleka’s desk chair, which was probably the only safe space in the room.

“Hey…Adrien,” Marinette said, her words coming out slow as she processed both the disaster area that was Juleka’s room as well as the art gallery spread across its walls. Juleka suddenly remembered that Marinette had never been to her apartment before. “Did you do all of this yourself, Jules?”

“Yeah,” Juleka said, watching Marinette through her bangs. Marinette shook her head, a grin lighting up her face as she drank in the sight.

“This is amazing! You’re so talented,” Marinette said, carefully stepping further into the room so that she could better appreciate the mural. Her smile warmed further when her eyes caught on the pictures from the photo shoot pasted up next to her bed. Juleka felt her cheeks heating.

“Thanks,” Juleka said. She kicked some clothing aside, picked up a few articles and threw them at the bed. “It’s normally neater than this, I was just…”

Oh, right. Juleka was panicking.

Because she had a date with Rose.

Shit.

Some of Juleka’s panic must have translated to her face because all of a sudden both Marinette and Adrien were next to her, warm hands were pressing on her shoulders and her back, and she was being guided to sit on her couch, which suddenly had a space free of clothes.

“Jules?” Adrien asked, sinking to the floor in front of her while Marinette perched on the arm of the couch. “You okay?”

“Date,” Juleka managed to say, pushing sound through her throat, which seemed to have closed until further notice. Adrien and Marinette both nodded, having heard about this development the day before.

“You’re nervous?” Marinette asked, her hand on Juleka’s shoulder, weighing her down and keeping her from floating away. Juleka nodded.

“You know Rose loves you,” Adrien said, smiling up at her sympathetically.

“I know, I know that. I shouldn’t be panicking, I don’t- I don’t-”

“It’s okay to be nervous,” Marinette said quietly. Juleka felt something break inside her, some thin string holding everything together just _snapped_.

“I just don’t know what to _do_ ,” Juleka burst out, letting her frustration pour out. “And the people I normally ask for advice are Rose, who I’m going on the date with, or Nathanaël, who’s in Germany and knows jack about girls, and an old Chinese guy that owns a healing shop-”

“Wait,” Marinette said.

“What?” Adrien asked.

“-and he’s an _old Chinese guy_ so I can’t really ask _him_. So I was trying to figure it out, and I can’t think and it’s _dumb_ because I can _always_ figure things out and then I messed up and worried you guys and I’m sorry for that and now I can’t-”

“Shhhhh,” Marinette said, rubbing Juleka’s back slowly, her hand moving up and down, up and down. “It’s okay, Jules. We’re here. We can help you.” Juleka took a deep breath, nodding slowly. They could help her. They were going to help her. “It makes sense, actually. You love Rose a lot and you don’t want to mess up, right? You want it to be perfect.” Juleka nodded again, her chest loosening as Marinette gave names to worries she hadn’t known were choking her.

“I’m sure it’ll be great, Jules,” Adrien said, grinning. He patted her knee and rose to his feet, glancing around her room. He raised an eyebrow at Juleka. “I’m guessing that part of your problem is that you don’t know what to wear?” That drew a giggle from Marinette and a weak smile from Juleka. She nodded slowly.

“We can take care of that,” Marinette said, hopping off the arm of the couch and starting to pick up the room, looking at articles of clothing while she organized. “Wanna help, Adrien? I’m putting possibles on the bed, the rest on the desk.” Adrien nodded and started helping. Juleka stayed on the couch, watching as her friends moved through her space, looked at her clothes, sorted her out. They worked mostly in silence, but every now and then, one or the other would hold something up and ask for an opinion.

Watching them helped a lot, giving Juleka something to think about, something to grasp. She noted distantly that Marinette wasn’t stuttering at all. Hadn’t since she arrived. She was focused on the task at hand, focused on helping her friend. Juleka guessed that that wasn’t so surprising. There wasn’t much that Marinette couldn’t do when she was needed.

When all of Juleka’s clothing had been sorted and Marinette and Adrien moved on to choosing from the selected pieces, Juleka rose from the couch and started putting away the rejects. There was still a kernel of worry lodged in her chest, waiting to heat up and explode, but smoothing and folding her clothes, putting her room back in order, listening to Adrien and Marinette help her, it all calmed her considerably. She was able to breathe.

“What do you think of this blouse?” Adrien asked, holding up the article in question. Marinette set aside the dress she’d been considering, squinting at the lime green blouse.

“It’s a little cold for short sleeves,” Marinette said, placing her hands on her hips while she considered.

“She’ll have to wear a coat either way,” Adrien pointed out. Then he grinned, turning to Juleka with a sly wink. “And if she’s a little cold, she’ll have a reason to cuddle with Rose.” Marinette giggled and Juleka shook her head at him.

“Is that your strategy for dates?” Marinette asked, blushing a little as she turned back to the dress she’d put down. Juleka shook her head again.

“I don’t really know,” Adrien said with a shrug, putting the blouse aside and continuing to look through the clothing. “I’ve never had to think about it before.”

“You’ve never been on a date?” Marinette asked, pausing her search to look up at him. Adrien just shrugged again, taking his turn to blush.

“Homeschool. You know,” Adrien mumbled. “What about this one?” Adrien held up another top.

“Still short sleeved,” Marinette said with a smile. Adrien looked at the shirt in surprise, then blushed even harder as he put it aside with the blouse.

“Why are all of these short sleeved things even in here if she can’t wear them?” Adrien asked, eyebrows furrowed. Marinette giggled.

“I’m not the one who put them here,” Marinette said, giggling even harder as Adrien’s face cleared and his formerly fading blush returned full force. She managed to turn her amusement into comfort. “But they could be used for layering, so they’re not useless.”

“So she could wear that blouse,” Adrien said, immediately brightening. Marinette giggled again and nodded, turning her attention back to the clothes in front of her.

“Hm. What about this?” Marinette asked, holding up a purple pleated skirt. “Pair it with some leggings, it’d be warm enough. And it’s really cute.” Adrien stroked his chin in consideration.

“I think I saw some knit tights that’d work well with that,” Adrien said, digging for a moment before coming out with a pair of thick black tights with swirls woven into the knit. Marinette let out a little squeal, taking the leggings from him and holding them up against the skirt. She looked back up at Adrien with a gleam in her eyes and they grinned at each other.

“Now, for the top,” Marinette said. Adrien excitedly held up the green blouse. Marinette winced. “Um. Not that one.” Adrien’s face fell a little, swaying dangerously close to a pout. Marinette gave him a fond little smile before turning back to the pile of clothes. She scanned it critically, before diving in and coming out with a large black sweater. She held it up to Adrien wordlessly. He put aside his petulance, gauging the option. He looked up at Marinette and smiled.

“Perfect,” Adrien said. Marinette’s face turned a dreamy for a moment, before she refocused on the task at hand.

“Now shoes. Are you going to be walking a lot?” Marinette asked. Juleka jumped a little when both Adrien and Marinette turned to her. She’d almost forgotten that she was part of this. Juleka nodded.

“Shoes in the closet?” Adrien asked. Marinette was already moving to stand next to Juleka and peer inside. Juleka simply moved out of the way so that Adrien could also look.

“Need something comfortable if you’re going to be walking,” Marinette said thoughtfully.

“Her normal tennis shoes could work,” Adrien suggested. Marinette looked at him, almost affronted.

“This isn’t a _normal_ situation,” Marinette said. Surprise flashed across Adrien’s face, followed by a grin. He held up his hands in surrender. Marinette looked back at Juleka’s selection and immediately perked up.

“Can’t go wrong with a good pair of boots,” Marinette said, removing the black shoes from the closet. On her way out, something caught her eye and her eyes widened. “And this would be perfect!” Her hand darted back into the closet, coming out with a purple beanie. Marinette walked away from the closet, boots in one hand, beanie in the other. Adrien smiled at Marinette as she walked away, and Juleka was a little surprised by the warmth in his gaze. He followed her back to the bed, surveying their selections.

“Looks good to me,” Adrien said, glancing up at Marinette for her opinion. She looked over the ensemble critically for another moment before nodding decisively.

“Nice. We have your perfect date outfit, Jules,” Marinette announced, turning to Juleka as she gestured grandly at the final selection. Adrien framed it with a flourish of his own on the other side. Juleka shook her head at them fondly.

“Go ahead. Put it on,” Adrien said excitedly. Juleka raised an eyebrow at him.

“Um, Adrien,” Marinette said. Adrien turned to her, excitement turning to confusion. “We should probably leave first.” Adrien looked at Juleka, then back at Marinette, then back at Juleka. Then he turned bright red.

“Oh!” Adrien yelped. “Right.” Marinette giggled and took Adrien’s arm, pulling him towards the door.

“Holler when you’re done, Jules,” Marinette said over her shoulder as they left the room. Adrien gave Juleka one last sheepish smile before shutting the door behind them. Juleka chuckled quietly, looking over at the outfit her friends had picked out for her.

She wasn’t panicking anymore. She was still a little nervous, sure, but she wasn’t really worried. She wasn’t sure what had helped more, Adrien and Marinette taking the choice of clothes out of her hands, or listening to them talk and do their best to help her. It was certainly at least a little of both. Juleka put the clothes on quickly, holding on to the warmth lingering in her chest. Once the hat was firmly on her head, she called Adrien and Marinette back in, sitting down to pull on and lace up the boots.

“Jules!” Marinette squealed, grinning at her the same way Adrien was. “You look so cute.”

“Yeah, you look really nice, Jules,” Adrien said, nodding his approval.

“We did a good job,” Marinette said, turning her smile on Adrien.

“Heck yeah we did,” Adrien said smugly, holding out his fist to Marinette. Juleka paused her lacing as Marinette looked down at Adrien’s fist in surprise, then back up at his face with a strange expression. After a moment, she hesitantly bumped his fist with her own, smiling up at him with a hint of her normal shyness. Juleka returned to her boots with only a slight shake of her head. They were so oblivious. So oblivious.

Juleka stood, adjusting her skirt awkwardly. She was much more used to wearing pants, but at least she was wearing tights with it. She looked down at herself, feeling a little weird in these different clothes, that were _hers_ , yes, but rarely something she chose to wear. She vaguely thought that she actually only had the skirt from some sort of costume. So, it felt weird, but also kind of…amazing. She looked nice. She looked _cute_. A fashion designer and a model who also happened to be some of her best friends _said_ so. She was suddenly struck by the desire to know what Rose thought. What she was going to think. When she saw her.

“Thank you, guys,” Juleka said quietly, looking up at her friends, a smile spreading across her face. “Thank you for coming and for helping and for _this_.” Juleka gestured at herself. Adrien and Marinette both looked at her with nearly identical warm smiles.

“Of course,” Marinette said, stepping forward and hugging her tightly. She stepped back, tilting her head. “What are friends for?”

“Yeah. Anything for you, Jules,” Adrien said, also stepping forward and putting a hand on Juleka’s shoulder. Juleka felt a little overwhelmed for a moment in their gazes, with them offering her so much and so matter-of-factly, like it was obvious that Juleka deserved this kind of friendship. Like it was obvious that they would care about her like this.

“Is there anything else you need?” Marinette asked. Juleka looked at her, thinking quickly. What she’d really needed was to stop freaking out and they’d managed that already and they’d thrown in free styling. So Juleka shook her head slowly.

“I think I’m good now,” Juleka said. “I-” Juleka was interrupted by her phone vibrating loudly against her desk. She reached for it, checking the message.

 **Rose:** _Just got home! See you in 45_  
**Rose:** _I’m so excited!!!_

“Rose is going to be here in forty-five minutes,” Juleka announced. She was suddenly flooded with electricity, like she’d stuck her finger in a light socket, but without the nerve damage. This wasn’t like the energy of this morning, destructive and consuming. This was the energy she’d been plagued by for almost thirty-six hours. Excitement and anticipation and happiness and was excitement mentioned? Because there was a lot of excitement pumping through Juleka at that moment and forty-five minutes suddenly seemed like forever.

“It’s going to be awesome,” Adrien said and Juleka looked up at him in surprise. She’d kind of forgotten that he and Marinette were there despite his hand squeezing her shoulder. Juleka looked at Marinette and back at Adrien, nodding firmly. It _was_ going to be awesome. It was _Rose_.

“Want us to leave now?” Marinette asked, jerking her thumb towards the door. Juleka nodded once more.

“Thank you,” she said again. Marinette and Adrien smiled at her.

“Any time,” Marinette said.

“What she said,” Adrien said, adding a wink at the end, drawing a blush out of Marinette and another head shake out of Juleka. “See you later.”

“See you tonight,” Marinette said over her shoulder as she started towards the door. Juleka chuckled quietly when she heard Marinette’s voice float past the closing door. “So, you, um…You’ve really never been on a date before?”

Juleka slowly put the rest of her clothes away, then looked around her room, feeling a little lost and a lot excited and she didn’t really know what to do with herself. She didn’t feel like she could focus on anything other than the upcoming date, but she still had _thirty minutes_ and perhaps she shouldn’t have told Adrien and Marinette that they could leave. She debated texting them and decided against it, debated sketching and almost laughed at herself. She finally settled on her bed with a book, resolving herself to read the same page sixty times, and waited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know what's the worst? Formatting exactly 100 text messages. I need to stop thinking text conversations are funny.
> 
> Oh hey, someone drew some [art](http://bibilittlebutterfly.tumblr.com/post/151114270347/juleka-and-her-adorable-outfit-from) of Juleka's outfit.
> 
> And here was my inspiration for [Juleka's](http://aelida.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/skirt-and-oversized-sweater.jpg) outfit.
> 
>  
> 
> Next: Rose _actually_ shows up.


	21. It's a Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I believe someone ordered some fluff? With a side of plot development?

The doorbell rang and Juleka almost fell off of her bed. She wasn’t necessarily _surprised_ that the doorbell had rung, because exactly forty-five minutes had passed since Rose had sent her text, but the sheer amount of anticipation that had gone into this moment had her on edge both figuratively and literally. So, she almost fell when the thing she had been expecting to happen actually happened.

Juleka managed to get off of her bed voluntarily, frantically rearranging her skirt and her sweater and her beanie. Then she went to her front door, trying to walk at a normal pace, trying to _breathe_ at a normal pace, and opened it.

And there she was. Rose.

“Juleka!” Rose cried, launching herself at Juleka as soon as the door was fully open. She wrapped her arms around her neck and held on tight. Juleka hugged her back as tightly as she dared, swinging her back and forth so that she could hear her giggle.

“Hey, Rose,” Juleka said, lowering Rose down so that her feet touched the floor again. Rose pulled back a little, but stayed within the circle of Juleka’s arms, grinning widely as she looked up at her. She raised one hand, brushing through Juleka’s bangs before settling it on her cheek.

“I missed you,” Rose said.

“You were gone for four and a half days,” Juleka said, grinning at Rose.

“Yes,” Rose said, nodding hard. “And I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” Juleka admitted with a sigh, bending down to rest her forehead against Rose’s. “Even if it was only four and a half days.”

“More like four and a quarter,” Rose giggled. Juleka smiled as her breath tickled her nose.

“Even if it was only four and a quarter days,” Juleka said. Rose giggled again, then tilted her face to press her lips against Juleka’s. They were soft as they always were and tasted like strawberries which was new. The kiss only lasted a few moments, but when they parted, Juleka was warm all over and the ridiculous nervousness that had been building up was the vaguest of memories. This was Rose. There was no need for nervousness.

“Juleka!” Rose squealed. Juleka looked down at her in surprise. “You look so cute!” Juleka felt her face go hot almost immediately.

“Thanks, Rose,” Juleka said, resisting the urge to hide behind her bangs. Rose thought she was cute. She finally took a moment to think past Rose and on to what Rose was wearing. She was in a soft pink sweater dress and a heavy white coat. She’d switched her normal sandals for riding boots and there was a little white bow in her hair. She looked wonderful.

“You look cute too,” Juleka said, gently tapping Rose’s bow. “Though you always look cute.”

“Thanks,” Rose giggled, the blush spreading across her cheeks complimenting her dress nicely. “It’s lucky we’re such a cute pair.” Juleka chuckled at that.

“You ready to go?” Juleka asked, grabbing her coat and checking to make sure that she had her phone and wallet and keys.

“Yep! Where are we going?” Rose asked as Juleka gently pushed her out into the hallway and locked the door behind them. Juleka turned to Rose, reaching down and catching her hand and dropping a kiss on her cheek before she answered.

“Spoilers.” Juleka started walking and Rose had no choice but to follow even though she was spluttering with indignation.

“Juleka,” Rose whined as they descended the stairs, pulling on Juleka’s hand. “Tell me.”

“Nope,” Juleka said, throwing a sly smile over her shoulder. “It’s a surprise.”

“But I want to know,” Rose protested, bringing out her best pout. Juleka only smiled and bopped her on the nose with her forefinger.

“Then you shouldn’t have let me be in charge of planning,” Juleka said, releasing Rose’s hand for a moment in order to graciously hold the door for her. Rose tried to go for exasperation, but stopped just short of it, landing on fondness as she passed. She didn’t even manage to really roll her eyes.

“Fine. You can be secretive if you want,” Rose said, allowing Juleka to take her hand again and lead the way. She managed to stay silent for about thirty seconds. “But at least give me a hint? Please?” Juleka glanced sideways at Rose, at her wide eyes and pleading face, and heaved a loud, beleaguered sigh.

“One hint,” Juleka said. Rose squealed quietly, then fell silent, waiting for her hint. Juleka made a show of considering what she was going to say. She glanced at Rose again, who still watched her patiently. “Do you like Chinese food?”

“Chinese food?” Rose asked, thrown off. She blinked once, twice. “Yes, but-”

“That’s your hint,” Juleka said. She looked down at Rose and had to smile seeing her repeat the words under her breath, her eyebrows furrowed. Juleka wanted to lift her chin and kiss the wrinkle in her forehead until it disappeared, but she contented herself with sweeping her thumb across the back of Rose’s hand.

It was a gorgeous day in Paris. Really cold, but lovely, with clear blue skies and very little wind to cut through clothing and settle in the bones. Even though it was cold, the city was still alive with activity. It was Christmas Eve. There was last minute shopping to do, people to celebrate with, decorations to hang. So people donned their coats and hit the streets despite the cold and rejoiced in the sunshine where it could be had.

Juleka was glad that Adrien and Marinette had made the decisions they’d made, because she was nice and warm in her sweater. Still, she looped her arm over Rose’s head, settling it across Rose’s shoulders without letting go of her hand and pulling her close. Rose looked up at her, at first in surprise, but then with a warm smile, melting into her side.

“Juleka?” Rose asked. Juleka looked down at her, taking in the way her smile had been replaced by concern. “Are you really okay?” Juleka continued to look at Rose while she considered the question.

“Yes,” Juleka said after a moment. She looked back up at their path as she led them around a corner, the metro station coming into view a block away. “I wasn’t for a little while. And sometimes it just- I can’t stop thinking about it sometimes.”

_The error of that decision._

Juleka shook her head quickly, as if she could physically dislodge the thought. She looked down at Rose, saw the concern deepening in the lines of her face.

“But that’s only sometimes,” Juleka said, rubbing the back of Rose’s hand. “Most of the time, I think about better things. Like you. And going on dates with you. And how cute you are.” Rose giggled at that, the concern finally sliding off of her face. Juleka was pleased with herself and smiled at the blush splashed across Rose’s cheeks.

“Okay,” Rose said once her giggles had subsided. “I’m glad. I just wanted to make sure.”

“Thank you,” Juleka said. She jiggled Rose’s hand. “I feel like the only things we’ve talked about for days are cows and my crises. Tell me about your vacation.” Rose brightened and immediately began talking about the adventures of the latest Semiannual Lavillant Family Road Trip as they reached the metro station and started down the stairs.

 

Rose told stories about her family’s road trip all through their ride on the metro, from the beaches they visited to the cities they stopped in to the people they saw. Juleka was content to listen as she always did, her arm around Rose’s shoulders or playing with her hands or brushing away her bangs. Rose was still talking when Juleka grabbed her hand and brought her to her feet as they neared their stop. She was still talking when Juleka led her off of the train and through crowds and up the stairs back into the sunshine. Then, she finally stopped, blinking in the light as if surprised to no longer be on the metro.

“Where are we?” Rose asked, looking around at the unfamiliar buildings. Juleka took Rose’s hand and began walking down the street.

“Thirteenth arrondissement,” Juleka said, watching Rose as they walked.

“What are we doing here?” Rose asked, craning her neck to gaze at the admittedly less than elegant buildings around them. Juleka stayed silent. Rose looked up at her when she didn’t reply and caught the sly smile curving her lips. Then Rose huffed.

“I already gave you a hint,” Juleka said, doing her best not to grin.

“Oh, come on,” Rose whined, but Juleka just tugged on her hand and kept walking and Rose gave it up, turning her attention to their surroundings instead. Juleka led Rose through streets that she knew like the back of her hand, stealing glances at her as they walked. Rose seemed to content enough to walk along hand in hand, but Juleka could tell that her curiosity was growing stronger and stronger as they moved away from the bustling business sector and started passing smaller businesses, interspersed with houses more and more frequently. Juleka stroked Rose’s hand and pushed down the trickle of anticipation that was running through her chest as they neared their destination.

Less than ten minutes later, Juleka slowed to a stop in front of an unassuming storefront. It didn’t look much different from any of the buildings around it, plain but clean with a neat yet slightly faded sign above the front doors and a sturdy wicker chair out front.

“La Tortue de Guérison?” Rose read, tilting her head at the sign. She looked up at Juleka, the question written on her face. “What does a healing turtle have to do with Chinese food?” Juleka smiled and pulled Rose along as she started around the corner, the trickle widening into a waterfall of anticipation crashing through her chest.

“You don’t get to meet my parents,” Juleka said slowly. She felt Rose’s hand twitch in hers. “You probably don’t even want to…”

“Juleka-” Rose started, concern and confusion battling for dominance on her face.

“This is the closest thing to it, since you can’t really meet your own family,” Juleka said, shooting Rose a shy smile that did little to soothe either of them as she pushed open the gate. Rose stayed quiet as she took in the garden, the large cherry blossom tree looming leafless over the little iron table, too cold to sit at now. Juleka felt the comfort settle under her skin that always came with stepping into the bounds of this space, but this time it was tempered by an edge of nervousness. She had never brought anyone else here before.

Juleka took a deep breath to calm the waterfall raging in her ribcage and looked over at Rose. She still looked a little confused, but also a little awestruck as she gazed around the winter-bare garden. The tree may have been leafless, but it was still beautiful, and several of the plants were in full bloom despite the cold, like the carefully cultivated jasmine and honeysuckle. Juleka’s nerves were settled by the smile brightening Rose’s face when she looked up at her. She squeezed Rose’s hand once, then headed for the doors.

“Master Fu?” Juleka called as she and Rose stepped inside. She finally let go of Rose’s hand to shrug off her coat. There was a small, short table set in the middle of the room on the raised cushion where Master Fu did most of his work. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rose also shedding her coat as she looked around the room.

“Ah, Juleka,” Master Fu said, entering the room with a tray bearing the typical teapot and cups. He moved like an old man as he always did, but he carried the heavily laden tray without a problem and granted Juleka a fond smile. “I had a feeling I’d be seeing you today.”

“That wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact that I asked you yesterday if we could have lunch with you, would it?” Juleka asked, raising one eyebrow. Master Fu bent down to place the tray on the table, but Juleka could still hear his chuckle.

“No, I’m simply mysterious and all-knowing,” Master Fu said, a twinkle in his eye as he straightened to regard the two of them. Juleka felt rather than saw Rose jump when Master Fu’s gaze settled on her. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Rose. I am Master Fu.” Juleka looked down in time to see Rose’s eyes widen. She glanced up at Juleka, more confused now than ever, before looking back at Master Fu.

“I- it’s nice to meet you too,” Rose said hesitantly. Master Fu nodded at her and gave her a little bow.

“You two sit,” Master Fu said, gesturing towards the table. “I’ll be right back with lunch.” Master Fu turned and left the room and Juleka led the way towards the table, sinking to the soft surface and folding her legs beneath her. Rose followed suit. Juleka looked over at Rose, nervousness still thrumming in her chest. Rose looked back, her head tilted, but her questions contained. Juleka held out her hand and Rose slipped hers back into it, intertwining their fingers.

“I didn’t believe Juleka when she told me that you were the cutest thing in the world,” Master Fu said conversationally, backing into the room with a second tray piled high with food. “After all, there are a lot of cute things in this world. Puppies. Kittens. Babies in Halloween costumes.” Master Fu placed the tray with the food on the table and gracefully kneeled down next to Juleka. “But seeing you two together, I think I get where Juleka was coming from.” Rose and Juleka exchanged a glance, both very quickly turning red. Master Fu ignored it, happily taking food off of the tray, setting plates and chopsticks in front of the blushing messes that used to be Juleka and Rose.

“Dig in,” Master Fu said, setting the example by loading steamed rice onto his plate. Juleka and Rose returned from the land of embarrassment at the invitation. Rose looked down at the spread and immediately started to giggle.

“Chinese food?” Rose said to Juleka with the most accusation she could muster, though the giggling rather ruined the effect.

“What?” Juleka asked, ever-so-innocent as she let go of Rose’s hand to take the bowl of rice from Master Fu. “I basically told you what we were doing.”

“You did _not_ ,” Rose said, doing her best to glare as she reached for the bowl nearest her.

“This is Chinese food, right Master Fu?” Juleka said, turning to him. Master Fu looked from Juleka to Rose and back.

“Well, I am Chinese and I used the knowledge I learned in China when I cooked this food, so probably,” Master Fu said, amusement glinting in his eyes as he picked out pieces of chicken to add to his plate.

“See? It was a hint, fair and square,” Juleka said, giving Rose her most innocent smile. “Pass the vegetables?” Rose sighed, but she handed Juleka the bowl all the same. Then she picked up her chopsticks and popped the first bite in her mouth. Her eyes widened as she chewed.

“This is wonderful!” Rose exclaimed once she was done chewing. She turned to Master Fu with shining eyes and Juleka knew that he had already won her over. Not that there had ever been much doubt, no matter what the murmuring waterfall in her chest said. “Thank you for making us lunch, Master Fu.”

“You’re welcome, Rose,” Master Fu said. He paused for a moment while he chewed, silence falling for a beat, then spoke again. “How is your date going so far?” Rose jumped, looking up at first Master Fu, then Juleka with surprise on her face.

“It’s only started about thirty minutes ago,” Juleka pointed out, reaching out to touch Rose’s hand briefly. It hadn’t occurred to Juleka to tell Rose that Master Fu knew about their relationship. Honestly, he probably knew more about how Juleka felt than Rose did, always had. Rose hadn’t told _her_ parents yet, but Master Fu knew just about everything Juleka had to offer (save for a couple Super Secrets and even then…). Rose was a lot of what Juleka had to offer, had been for almost as long as they had known each other. So it hadn’t registered that Rose wouldn’t be expecting Juleka to tell her nebulous replacement parental figure. And it hadn’t registered that she might be a little shocked that she had.

“It’s been a wonderful thirty minutes,” Rose said shyly, relaxing under Juleka’s touch. They both blushed all over again, returning to their food with little smiles on their faces. Juleka determinedly did not look up to see what Master Fu looked like. She already knew that she and Rose were kinda gross; she didn’t need him to tell her. She also just didn’t really care.

“Much cuter than babies in Halloween costumes,” Master Fu declared. Juleka looked up at him with a raised eyebrow that did nothing to quell Master Fu’s grin. Rose was no help, dissolving into giggles behind her hand.

“But babies in Halloween costumes are _really_ cute,” Rose giggled.

“This is true,” Master Fu said, reaching for the teacups and handing one each to Rose and Juleka. “But you two hold hands.”

“Babies in Halloween costumes can hold hands,” Rose insisted, her face turning a little dreamy. “That’d be _adorable_. Especially if they were paired costumes.” Master Fu nodded solemnly, pausing with one hand on the teapot and the other stroking his chin.

“Like a tiny Ladybug and Chat Noir,” Master Fu said, his face strangely mischievous.

“Exactly!” Rose squealed, her hands curling under her chin. “That’d be the cutest thing ever!”

“Indeed,” Master Fu said, smiling at Rose as he picked up the teapot and began pouring for all of them.

Juleka watched Master Fu and Rose talk about babies and thought that she really should be used to her worlds colliding by now, what with secrets popping up left, right, and center, and oblivious superheroes determinedly inserting themselves into her life. But this, Master Fu and Rose chatting away like they’d _always_ known each other, this was beyond strange. It wasn’t bad, because Juleka wanted to have Rose in every part of her life she could. But it was still weird, like two puzzle pieces that looked like they should fit, but didn’t quite.

However, with every second that passed, the pieces fit together better and better.

“Juleka?” Rose’s voice brought Juleka back into the conversation and she focused on Rose and Master Fu both smiling at her with similar warm expressions. Rose giggled a little and turned to Master Fu. “She’s always getting lost somewhere in her thoughts.”

“She has quite a lot of them to get lost in,” Master Fu agreed, nodding sagely even as he winked at Juleka. Juleka considered glaring at them, but settled for a smile instead.

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It felt like no time at all had passed, but when Juleka checked her phone (after receiving a check-in text from Marinette) it was almost 1:30 and they’d been at Master Fu’s for over two hours.

“Oh,” Juleka said, surprised into speaking. Rose and Master Fu paused their conversation about the garden to look over at Juleka. “We need to go.”

“Go?” Rose echoed, looking over at Master Fu in surprise, then back at Juleka. “There’s more?”

“Yeah,” Juleka said, rising to her feet and reaching down to pull Rose up with her. “We’ve done lunch, now we have more date stuff to do.” Rose’s face lit up and she bounced a little on her toes.

“Thank you for having lunch with me, my friends,” Master Fu said, also rising from his place at the table. “I hope the rest of your day is as wonderful as the first thirty minutes was.” He winked at Rose, clasping his hands behind him.

“I’m sure it will be,” Rose said, beaming up at Juleka as a blush bloomed on her cheeks. Juleka knew that she was probably blushing too, but ignored it in favor of holding Rose’s coat for her to slip into. Rose did the same for her, even though she had to reach up a little higher than Juleka had.

“I’m really glad I got to meet you, Master Fu,” Rose said, turning to look at him once Juleka’s coat was on.

“And you, Rose,” Master Fu said, inclining his head at her. “Please come back soon. And drag this one with you.” Master Fu chuckled and Rose giggled. Juleka moved to lead the way out the door, but Rose stopped her with a hand on her arm. She looked down at Rose to see her looking back at Master Fu, her gaze thoughtful. She looked back up at Juleka, a soft smile on her face.

“I’ll be outside,” Rose said, patting her arm a couple times before she turned and walked outside without a backward glance. Juleka looked after her for one confused moment before turning to Master Fu, one eyebrow raised.

“I think she wants to give us time to confer,” Master Fu said, an amused smile quirking his lips.

“Confer?” Juleka asked.

“On whether or not I approve,” Master Fu said, his smile still in place. “As if you need my approval.”

“Well,” Juleka said slowly, trying to sort through the emotions darting through her in a muddled mass, all of them mushy and warm and hard to separate. “Do you?” Master Fu tilted his head slightly, regarding Juleka with a fond gaze.

“I approved of her long before I met her,” Master Fu said. “But, yes, I approve. I see why you love her. She is quite delightful.” Juleka glanced through the glass doors at Rose, where she stood in the garden inspecting the jasmine.

“Yes, she is,” Juleka said, even more warmth blooming in her chest.

“Go,” Master Fu said, waving his hand at Juleka. “Enjoy your date.”

“Thanks, Master Fu,” Juleka said, a smile spreading across her face as she started backing towards the door. “I’ll see you soon.”

“I’m sure you will,” Master Fu chuckled, turning away at the same time Juleka did.

The winter air, crisp and clear, stung against Juleka’s skin as she stepped outside. She took a moment to appreciate the sight of Rose in Master Fu’s garden, a person she loved and a place she loved brought together. She appreciated the pale beauty of blonde Rose in her white coat against the greens and browns of the winter garden, otherwise broken only by some red berries and yellow and white blooms. Juleka etched the image into her brain, regretting that she couldn’t sit here and sketch it. But it was only a small regret. There were other things to do now.

“Ready?” Juleka asked. Rose turned and smiled, holding her hand out to Juleka. Juleka stepped forward and took it, leading Rose out of Master Fu’s garden and on to the next thing on the agenda.

“He was really nice,” Rose said as she fell into step beside Juleka. Juleka hummed, looking down at Rose to find her already looking up, curiosity still lingering in her eyes. Juleka granted her a small smile before looking away to organize her thoughts.

“I first met Master Fu years ago,” Juleka said slowly. She felt Rose watching her, but she didn’t look down, focusing instead on the streets she knew so well. “It was after my parents started teaching in China and before I knew you. I wasn’t allowed in the art room after school and I didn’t want to be home, so I just…wandered. I guess it wasn’t really surprising that I ended up in this part of town a lot. I felt a little closer to my parents around Chinatown...” Juleka felt Rose’s hand tighten around hers. She glanced down and met wide, sad eyes.

“It didn’t stay that way for long,” Juleka promised, squeezing Rose’s hand. Rose smiled a little, but her eyes stayed sad. “Anyways, whenever I wandered away from Chinatown, I somehow always ended up walking past La Tortue de Guérison and Master Fu was often sitting outside.” Juleka stopped for a moment, chuckling to herself at the memories.

“You know how hard it can be to get me to open up,” Juleka said, gently bumping Rose until she giggled softly. “But eventually, he got me to sit down for a cup of tea and I just…kept going back. It was the first time an adult actually seemed to want to hear what I had to say. And now…now he’s the closest thing I have to real family. Other than you, of course.” Juleka looked down at Rose again and this time her eyes were actually teary, but they weren’t completely sad anymore. Rose stopped, pulling Juleka to a stop as well.

“Thank you for introducing him to me,” Rose said, tears threatening to overflow. She threw her arms around Juleka’s neck, tugging her down into a hug. Juleka went willingly, holding Rose close. “I’m so happy to be your family and I’m happy that there was someone there for you before I could be and when I can’t be.” Juleka nodded into Rose’s neck, letting the warmth flooding her body put a smile on her face. Eventually Rose pulled back and held her hand out to Juleka again. Juleka took it and they began walking once more, leaving Master Fu and serious conversations behind for the moment.

“So where are we going?” Rose asked, so naïve, so innocent. She was so full of trust that it took her a long moment to realize that Juleka wasn’t answering and to look up and see her barely suppressed grin. “Oh, _Juleka_.”

“A surprise is a surprise, Rose,” Juleka said.

“Fine,” Rose sighed. She sped up a little and jumped in front of Juleka, turning so that she was walking backwards and taking Juleka’s other hand. “Another hint?”

“You didn’t appreciate my last one,” Juleka said, stepping carefully so that she wouldn’t crush Rose’s toes.

“Please?” Rose asked. Facing Juleka, Rose was at the perfect vantage point to hit her with the puppy dog eyes. Juleka shook her head at the blatant manipulation, but smiled anyway. Rose perked up, sensing her victory. She swung their arms between them while Juleka once again over-exaggerated her deliberation. Juleka looked down at Rose, considering, then suddenly grinned and swooped in to drop another kiss on Rose’s cheek.

“Love you,” Juleka said.

“I love you too,” Rose said, her mouth twisting into a pout as she quickly glanced behind her to make sure that she wasn’t going to trip over anything. “But what’s the hint?”

“That was the hint,” Juleka said, grinning so smugly that Chat Noir would have been proud. Rose looked back up at her with the best glare she had, which was more of a disapproving stare than a glare.

“Love you?” Rose asked, the stare dissolving into a pout. Juleka nodded confirmation, taking her turn to swing their arms while Rose thought. Rose opened her mouth, probably to say something about the quality of the hint, and then abruptly squeaked as she tripped and started falling. Juleka quickly pulled on her hands, hauling her into her arms so that she hit Juleka’s chest rather than hard pavement. They stood there for a moment, both a little shocked from the near miss Rose had had with the concrete. They took a deep breath as one and Rose leaned back so that she could look up at Juleka, a shaky smile playing across her lips.

“I would say that I’m falling for you, but I think it’s too late for that,” Rose blurted. Juleka blinked down at her. Rose blinked back. Then they both burst out laughing. They stood in the middle of the sidewalk, holding one another, and laughing until both of them had tears in their eyes.

“Maybe you should do less falling,” Juleka said once their laughter finally subsided enough to allow for words.

“But it’s for _you_ ,” Rose giggled cheerfully. Juleka shook her head fondly, reaching up a hand to smooth Rose’s hair back and to fix her bow.

“Still,” Juleka said, reluctantly separating herself from Rose and holding her hand out. Rose sighed dramatically, but grinned as she intertwined their fingers and began walking once more.

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“Where are we now?” Rose asked, blinking in the sunlight as Juleka pulled her along.

“Ninth arrondissement, also known as New Athens,” Juleka said, watching Rose as she looked around. She couldn’t look at her for too long, because the sidewalks were busier here, flush with tourists and shoppers.

“Oh yeah, I recognize it now. We usually get off at a different stop,” Rose said excitedly, looking around with wide eyes and a little delighted smile. She turned her focus to Juleka. “And we’re here because you…love me?”

“Yes,” Juleka said. “Though I’m pretty sure everything we’ve done today has been because I love you.” Juleka chuckled when Rose pouted at her.

“Well, what do shopping centers and the opera have to do with love?” Rose asked, cocking her head at Juleka.

“Who said we’re going to the shopping centers or the opera?” Juleka asked, determinedly looking ahead, avoiding Rose’s pout and pointedly navigating against traffic, away from the most popular draws of the ninth arrondissement. “This part of town has more than that.” Rose sighed, but perked up, surging forward so that she could walk next to Juleka rather than being pulled along.

“I guess I’ll just have to see,” Rose said cheerfully. “Come on, Jules. Let’s see where this silly hint of yours is taking us.” Juleka stopped in her tracks. Rose was jerked to a stop as well and looked up at her in alarm. Several pedestrians in front of and behind them grumbled at the sudden change, but swerved around them and continued on their journeys. Rose and Juleka stood still in the flow of life and busyness around them.

“Did you just call me Jules?” Juleka asked. Rose’s eyes widened and her hand tightened around Juleka’s.

“Um, yes?” Rose said tentatively, her shoulders rising next to her ears. “I- is that okay? Everyone else was calling you that so I thought-”

“You’re not everyone else,” Juleka interrupted. Rose’s eyes widened even more and then her whole body deflated, her gaze falling away. Juleka quickly stepped forward, reaching out and raising Rose’s chin so that she had to meet her eyes.

“You’re so much more important,” Juleka said softly. Rose blinked, then pink seeped into her cheeks. Life was still flowing and buzzing and grumbling around them, but Juleka ignored it because she was much more interested in Rose’s blush.

“Really?” Rose asked quietly, her lower lip trembling a little. Juleka nodded firmly. Rose seemed to brighten for a moment before her brow furrowed. “Then why…” Rose trailed off, but Juleka could read the question in her wide eyes.

“I like the way you say my name,” Juleka said.

 _Like I’m something wonderful_ , Juleka thought

 _Like I’m your favorite thing in the world_ , Juleka thought.

 _Like I matter_ , Juleka thought.

“Like you always do,” Juleka said. Rose was rapidly turning red, but the doubt finally slipped away from her face. Juleka moved her hand from her chin to her cheek, gently kissing her forehead before smiling down at her.

“Shall we go?” Rose said, suddenly shy, her voice somewhat hesitant. “Juleka?” Juleka smiled and turned to continue walking, Rose falling into step a moment later.

Juleka lead Rose through the streets of old New Athens, sometimes stopping to look at particularly pretty buildings or enjoy a street performer or once for Juleka to buy Rose a flower that she slipped behind her ear. Eventually they left some of the crowds behind as they wandered away from the department stores and boutiques. The buildings became smaller, less impressive, more residential, but they were still beautiful.

Sometimes Juleka and Rose talked, telling each other stories they’d already heard and making each other laugh. But sometimes, they stayed silent, content to have their hands linked and their eyes on the beauty around them.

Finally, Juleka slowed to a stop in front of a white building with green windows. It looked like a normal house, with potted plants sitting out front and open shutters. Rose looked up at her curiously, but Juleka just smiled and pulled her forward, stopping in front of a small plaque so that Rose could read it.

“Museum of Romantics,” Rose read aloud. She looked up at Juleka with a wide smile.

“I know that Romantic art and romance aren’t necessarily the same, but I thought you might like it,” Juleka said with a shy smile. She was suddenly unsure that this was a good plan ( _Juleka_ was the art nut, not Rose, _come on_ ), but Rose was beaming at her and squeezing her hand, so she swallowed down the panic.

“Love,” Rose said happily. “Love and Romantic art. Much better hint than your last one.”

“Oh, really?” Juleka said, her last dregs of worry dissolving. Rose nodded decisively and held up four fingers.

“I give it a four out of five,” Rose said.

“I thought you said it was better,” Juleka said flatly, though she still smiled fondly down at Rose.

“It was, but I still would never have guessed where we were going to end up,” Rose said, trying very hard to look stern. “That’s the whole point of hints, Juleka!” Juleka just chuckled and shrugged her shoulders.

“It’s more fun when you don’t know,” Juleka said. Rose shook her head and sighed. Then she glanced sideways at Juleka in a fashion that could only be described as sly.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Rose exclaimed suddenly, taking the lead and dragging her up the stairs with all the enthusiasm Juleka could wish for. She laughed and followed Rose through the front door into the museum.

Stepping into the Museum of Romantics felt a little like stepping into the past. It was furnished wherever possible as the house would have been furnished back when painter Ary Scheffer had hosted weekly parties there for the greatest artists of the time. Famous writers, singers, painters, Charles Dickens, Frederick Chopin, Eugéne Delacroix, they’d all graced these halls. Even the foyer held an air of grandeur and beauty, with dark wood and antique furniture. Juleka felt an excitement build up inside of her for the beauty they were going to see and from the grip Rose had on her hand, she was just as excited.

“Welcome to the Museum of Romantics,” the perky red-headed clerk behind the front desk said, smiling widely at Juleka and Rose as the door swung shut behind them. Juleka lead the way up to the desk, which looked only slightly out of place in the elegant foyer, and wished that Rose could talk to the clerk instead. She was so much _better_ at the whole talking thing, but it was _Juleka’s_ plan so she had to take charge. The exchange wouldn’t take any time at all.

“Thanks,” Juleka murmured. “Two tickets, please.”

“Sure thing,” the clerk said, immediately reaching for something on the desk that Juleka couldn’t see. Her eyes flicked down to their joined hands and her smile became a touch more genuine. “You two on a date?” the clerk asked, still fiddling with something behind the raised edge of the desk.

“Yes!” Rose piped up, bouncing on her toes a little as she smiled up at Juleka.

“Well, I’m sure you’ll find that this museum has plenty…in the way of…romance…” The clerk’s voice trailed off, her hands still behind the desk, her gaze fixed over their heads. Juleka watched as the grin faded from her face, her expression going eerily blank.

“Are you okay?” Rose asked hesitantly, her voice communicating the same nervousness that was currently trickling down Juleka’s spine. She didn’t respond.

“Hello?” Juleka ventured, more than a little unnerved by the clerk’s absent stare. Rose raised a hand, waving it past the clerk’s line of vision. The clerk didn’t respond.

Finally, Juleka followed the clerk’s gaze. When she looked out the window, she understood why the woman was staring.

The world outside the window was white.

Completely white.

Covered in at least three inches of glistening, undisturbed snow as if it had been falling for hours, with more fat flakes drifting down.

Juleka suppressed a groan.

“Oh my goodness!” Rose exclaimed when she too turned around. “How is there so much snow?” Rose let go of Juleka’s hand, stepping up to the window to peer out at the falling flakes.

“Akuma,” Juleka sighed, stepping up next to her. Tickets and surprised clerks were far from her mind now.

“Akuma?” Rose yelped, turning to Juleka with wide eyes.

“No other way that much snow could appear out of nowhere,” Juleka said. There was a part of her that wanted to know about the akuma that almost certainly was running around somewhere in Paris. What the extent of its powers were, what its name was, what it looked like, why it was angry. But most of her wanted Rose to be safe.

“We should go,” Juleka said, turning away from the window.

“Is that a good idea?” the clerk suddenly asked, having finally snapped out of her daze. Her chest was rising and falling quickly, like she was about to start hyperventilating, and her voice was so high it was almost a squeak.

“It doesn’t seem too dangerous out there yet,” Juleka said calmly, highly aware of two pairs of frightened eyes watching her. “And we don’t want to get snowed in here.” The clerk froze again, obviously trying to process what Juleka was saying. Rose only looked up at Juleka and nodded.

“Shall we go?” Rose asked, her voice shaking only slightly. Juleka smiled at her, taking her hand and rubbing it comfortingly.

“But-” the clerk started, holding out a hand like she wanted to stop them. Juleka ignored her, bringing Rose with her as she moved towards the exit.

“Stay safe,” Rose said, waving at the clerk as Juleka opened the door. The clerk waved back, looking at the two of them as if she was seeing them off to war.

They stepped outside and were suddenly ankle deep in snow, the crunch of it beneath their feet the only sound. Even the closing of the door behind them seemed oddly muffled. Paris was silent and still underneath the blanket of cold. There was no screaming, no fighting, no unnatural being screaming for revenge. The only sign that there was an akuma somewhere was the snow covering everything in sight, settling in Rose’s hair, on Juleka’s eyelashes.

“Come here,” Juleka said, letting go of Rose’s hand in order to button up her coat. Rose simply watched Juleka fumble through it, her hands turned clumsy by the unexpected cold. It hadn’t been cold enough to require gloves earlier, but now…Juleka kept at it and finally got Rose’s coat buttoned up to her neck, then carefully brushed the snow out of Rose’s hair before pulling her hood up to keep her ears warm. Then she hastily buttoned up her own coat, took Rose’s hand again, and started off into the cold.

They walked in silence. Something about the chill in the air suppressed the desire to chat, to tell stories they’d already heard, to make each other laugh. They made their way through the snow, which was growing ever deeper, walking past buildings that they’d already seen, made foreign by their new white décor. Even streets that were busy before saw only a few brave people now.

There were more people around when they neared the heart of the ninth arrondissement, but there were still a lot fewer than there had been before. Akuma or no, this was the location of some of the biggest department stores in Paris and a natural draw on Christmas Eve. There were voices here, and laughter. The snow was already trampled in most places. It was easier to forget that two of Juleka’s best friends were likely in battle somewhere in Paris.

“It seems so normal,” Rose said quietly. Juleka looked down at her, saw her looking around at the holiday bustle, the buildings that had enchanted her less than an hour before. She seemed somber now. She was worried and at least a little scared. “It seems like this is any other Christmas Eve, like this is normal snow. It seems like I should be excited for a white Christmas and making a snowman with Lucas.”

“You can still be excited for those things,” Juleka said, stepping a little closer to Rose partially to get out of the way of the fast-approaching group of tourists and partially to comfort her.

“But it’s because of an akuma,” Rose protested. She swept her free hand out, narrowly avoiding hitting the woman walking next to her. “This is all here because some innocent person was feeling sad on Christmas Eve.”

“Maybe,” Juleka said. She squeezed Rose’s hand until she looked up. “But Ladybug and Chat Noir will fix it soon. And that person, whoever they are, they won’t be sad forever. We weren’t.” Rose smiled a little.

“I guess,” Rose said. She nodded. “You’re right. I’m worrying too much.”

“Yes, you are,” Juleka said, smiling down at her girlfriend.

“Oh, hush,” Rose giggled, bumping Juleka with her shoulder. “Just because you’re always right-”

“I’m _not_ always right,” Juleka said.

“You are!” Rose insisted, flinging an arm out again and _actually_ hitting the man passing her. “Oh, sorry! I’m so sorry!” He merely huffed and sped up, leaving Rose a blushing mess and Juleka trying to hold in her laugh.

“You should probably-” Juleka started. However, Rose never got to learn what she should probably do.

Because that was when they heard a loud roar.

And that was when the streets dissolved into chaos.

One could never really know what to expect with akumas. There were a lot of strange reasons people got akumatized and a lot of strange villains as a result. One couldn’t predict what an akuma would look like any more than one could predict what it would want.

Still, Juleka really hadn’t been expecting an evil snowman.

It was pretty large as far as akumas go and probably should have been scarier than it was what with the roaring and everything. The sharp icicles poking out of its gaping mouth were pretty intimidating, but it also had a carrot nose, an old top hat, twig arms, and two eyes made out of coal. And it didn’t have legs, so it was _hopping_ into view, which was simply ridiculous. However, the shoppers and tourists that filled the streets were sent into a panic and suddenly, there were people running every which way and there was screaming that almost drowned out the roaring of the akuma and the only reason that Juleka wasn’t immediately separated from Rose was the tight grip she had on her hand.

“Frosty want Miraculous,” the snowman roared, hopping close enough for words to be distinguished. Juleka couldn’t stop the eye roll. Frosty? Really? Of all the names this akuma could have, Hawkmoth went with _Frosty_?

Juleka watched the monster hop down the wide street, its beady eyes sweeping back and forth as if searching for something. Juleka wondered what it wanted, other than to do Hawkmoth’s bidding. She wondered where Ladybug and Chat Noir were, if Frosty was screaming for the Miraculous because they were already on the scene or because it was looking for them. She wondered-

“Juleka!” Rose cried. Juleka’s gaze flew from the approaching akuma down to Rose’s terrified face. She was tugging on Juleka’s arm, her eyes blown wide, her hands shaking. “Juleka, we have to go!” Juleka nodded. She needed to get Rose to safety. She could watch on a TV like she normally did. Juleka cast a quick look back at Frosty (was it just _big_ or did it have powers? How had it created all the snow? How-) and then took the lead, pulling Rose along towards the metro as fast as Rose could go.

There hadn’t seemed to be all that many people out and about before, but now, with everyone trying to escape as fast as possible, it seemed that there were thousands of people. They were all running and screaming and jostling. Juleka felt several elbows connect with her ribcage, felt her own elbow connect with soft flesh and hard bone, and ignored it all. She tightened her grip on Rose’s hand and kept moving forward. At this point, the stampede of desperate humans was almost as dangerous as the akuma. Juleka didn’t dare slow down or take her eyes off of her destination, not even to look back at Rose.

Which was why, when Rose’s hand was torn from hers, she disappeared without a trace, melting away into the crowd before Juleka could shift her focus. Juleka tried to fight against the flow of escaping people, but she was being dragged towards safety, whether she wanted to be or not. She looked around desperately, her eyes flying from face to face, trying to catch a snatch of blonde or white, but there were too many people, all of them too tall, and there was too much white, too much snow, too many coats.

Rose was gone.

Juleka’s stupid brain was all too quick to offer images of where she might be.

_Rose lost and alone, carried past the metro, past the part of town she knew, wandering, helpless, scared._

_Rose losing her balance, falling to the ground, stepped on by terrified shoppers and tourists, again and again and again, bruised, helpless, scared._

_Rose ending up in the path of the akuma, frozen in fright as the monster bore down on her to make her one more victim in Hawkmoth’s reign of terror, crying, helpless, scared._

Juleka had absolute faith in Ladybug and Chat Noir’s ability to take down the akuma, but she had little faith in anything else and no matter what, Rose was out there alone somewhere and Juleka could not let it stay that way.

It took time.

Way too much time and also determination and also a whole lot of bruises both for Juleka and for anyone who happened to get in her way, but Juleka finally managed to break free of the tide of humanity, stumbling a couple of feet down the street before she got used to not having any resistance. Juleka looked around quickly, wildly, searching for something, anything, any hint of Rose. She took in the retreating mob of people, the empty space of no man’s land, and…and…

Juleka took in the shadow that was enveloping the spot where she stood. She followed it to its source. She looked up and up and up into the grinning face of Frosty, who was definitely much more terrifying up close and personal, with jagged spikes of ice breaking its otherwise smooth snowy surface, with those eyes made out of coal staring down, empty and cold. Juleka took in Frosty’s twig arm, moving down towards her. She noted absently that Frosty was rather quick for a giant snowman. She wouldn’t have thought that giant snowmen would be quite so fast…

And then, Juleka was treated to a faceful of snow.

And then, Juleka felt something slam into her waist.

And then, Juleka was flying up and up and up.

Juleka had experienced flying sensations before. The first time, she’d been rising towards the stars in a green bubble, wondering how long it’d be before she suffocated and died. The second time, she’d been clinging to Chat Noir as he pole vaulted across the city and ran across rooftops. This time, the sensation was more controlled than the constant jump-and-fall of the pole vaulting, but it had more momentum than the bubble. She could feel wind and snow hitting her skin, but couldn’t see with snow still in her eyes.

Moments later, the flying sensation came to an end as whoever was carrying her landed somewhere. Juleka was finally able to unwrap herself from her savior and wipe the frozen remnants from her face. She was completely unsurprised to open her eyes and see Ladybug.

“Are you okay?” Ladybug asked, grabbing Juleka’s shoulders and looking her over. Juleka looked down at herself, crusted from head to toe with snow, then back up at Ladybug.

“I’m fine,” Juleka said, shaking her head a little to catch up with events. She looked around. They were up on a rooftop overlooking the street where Frosty still stood. Juleka tensed for a moment when her eyes caught on the akuma, but it didn’t seem to have seen where they went. It wasn’t even looking around. In fact, Frosty wasn’t moving at all. There was a large pile of snow in front of it that it seemed to be staring at.

“Chat Noir punched through his stomach,” Ladybug said, following Juleka’s gaze down to Frosty. She chuckled. “Frosty’ll probably be preoccupied with figuring out how to put himself back together for a little while.” Her eyes shifted to something past Juleka’s head. “Speak of the devil.”

“Jules!” Chat Noir cried, landing next to Juleka with a light thump and wide grin. “You should leave the akuma fighting to us. My Lady and I are purr-fessionals, you know.”

“Oh my god,” Juleka muttered, shaking her head. She turned to Ladybug, who had an amused smile on her face. “How do you deal with him?”

“He grows on you,” Ladybug said, shrugging. Chat Noir beamed at her. Then, both heroes turned to Juleka with expectant looks.

“So,” Ladybug said.

“So?” Juleka asked, looking from one masked teenager to the other.

“So, how’s the date going?” Chat asked. Ladybug shot him a startled look, but turned back to Juleka after a moment with that same expectant expression.

Date.

_Rose._

“Rose!” Juleka blurted, rushing to the edge of the building to look at the retreating stampede of people. “I lost her, I- she’s-”

“Safe. She’s safe, Jules,” Chat said calmly, placing a hand on Juleka’s shoulder. “I saw her trying not to get crushed in the stampede. I took her to safety and told her to wait. She’s safe.” Juleka heaved a sigh of relief, leaning on the railing for support. Rose was okay. Rose was safe. Chat had saved her.

“You okay, Jules?” Ladybug asked, also stepping up to put a hand on Juleka’s shoulder. Juleka nodded shakily.

“Thank you,” Juleka said quietly, glancing up at her friends. “For saving her. Thank you.”

“What are friends for?” Ladybug asked, grinning down at Juleka.

“Yeah. Anything for you, Jules,” Chat said, nodding firmly.

Ladybug looked up at Chat Noir at the same time he looked up at her.

Juleka saw the moment the two began to think. She saw the moment the two began to wonder. She could practically read their thoughts on their faces. She could read the unsettling sense of déjà vu, the questions, the realization that this was _really weird._

They were superheroes. They were superheroes that didn’t know each other’s identities, but they both knew _Juleka_ and they called her the same nickname and they knew she was on a date and they _both went to her school_ and _she knew who they were_ and that was _really, really weird._

Juleka wondered if they even knew why those sentences made them feel so weird. She wondered if they remembered. She wondered if they’d _finally_ figure it out.

Chat looked away from Ladybug, shifting those weird green eyes to Juleka, opening his mouth to say something, breathing in like he had something important to say, like something was going to change.

“You know, that outfit is really cute, Jules,” Chat said.

Juleka blinked.

Then she did her best not to roll her eyes because this boy was _ridiculous_. This whole situation was _ridiculous_. Her life! Her life was _ridiculous_!

“Chat’s right, it _is_ a really cute outfit,” Ladybug said, forcing Juleka to watch as two smug, ridiculous, idiotic, _oblivious_ teenaged superheroes both puffed up like roosters during mating season at the compliment they were unwittingly paying one another whilst secretly paying it to themselves whilst pretending to pay it to Juleka.

Juleka hated them just a little bit. Just for a moment.

“Don’t you guys have an akuma to fight or something?” Juleka asked in a huff, firmly grasping both of her friends by the shoulders and turning them to look down at the street where Frosty was starting to get himself back together. Ladybug and Chat both cast sheepish glances at Juleka.

“Right. Let’s go, Chat,” Ladybug said, stepping away from Juleka and drawing her yoyo. “I think we need to teach Frosty here how to chill.”

“After you, My Lady,” Chat said, stepping up next to Ladybug and gesturing towards the preoccupied akuma with a flourish. Ladybug took a moment to roll her eyes, then cast out her yoyo.

“See you tonight, Jules,” Ladybug said, and then she was gone, flying down towards the waiting battle. Chat stared after her for a moment as if trying to figure something out. Then he shook his head and grinned at Juleka.

“Later, Jules,” Chat said, saluting her before he too leapt off of the building.

“Later,” Juleka said quietly, watching her friends jump into battle with the akuma once more.

 _Wonderful, oblivious idiots_ , Juleka thought fondly.

After a moment, Juleka realized that Rose was probably trying to reach her. She’d put her phone on silent after Marinette and Adrien had texted for the fifth time. Sure enough, when Juleka pulled out her phone, she had several missed calls. She hit redial and lifted the phone to her ear.

“ _Juleka!_ ” Rose said when the call connected after barely two rings.

“Rose,” Juleka said, breathing a second sigh of relief at the sound of her voice.

“ _Are you alright?_ ” Rose asked, the worry clear over the phone line. “ _I lost my grip on your hand and tried so hard to keep up but you were moving so fast and there were so many people and they just swallowed me up and I couldn’t find you and I was so scared and then I fell and Juleka I really thought I was going to get hurt and I was trying not to get stepped on but then you’ll never believe it, Chat Noir saved me and he was so nice and he told me to stay put and so I did, but I still didn’t know where you were and I tried calling but you didn’t pick up, but now you have! Are you okay? Oh goodness I just started talking and I didn’t even make sure you were okay! Are you alright? Where are you?_ ”

“Rose, I’m okay,” Juleka said with a chuckle. “I’m…uh…” Juleka looked around. And then she sighed. “I’m on a roof.”

“ _A roof!?_ ” Rose exclaimed. “ _Why are you on a roof?_ How _are you on a roof?_ ”

“Well, you weren’t the only one who got saved,” Juleka said. She looked around again and started towards the door she spotted on the other side of the roof while she told Rose the carefully edited story of how she’d been saved by Ladybug and Chat Noir.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's my inspiration for [Rose's](https://img0.etsystatic.com/167/0/11187997/il_340x270.1084228612_y28b.jpg) outfit in this chapter. Yes, I am aware that this is a dress for a toddler. Yes, I was immensely amused by that.
> 
> Thank you to bibilittlebutterfly for the inspiration for the Master Fu fluff. Seriously, thank you, I had no idea what this date was going to look like. My search history was full of "cute Paris date" and "unique Paris date" and "not the damn Eiffel tour Paris date" and "they're minors, they cannot drink wine dammit Paris date" so your contribution was much appreciated.
> 
> I'm pretty sure (we'll see man, anything can happen) that the story will end at thirty chapters. It might end up being fewer (aw, yestomiraculous, that's cute, you think there will be fewer than thirty chapters) but there's a very, _very_ good chance that there will end up being more. Depends on how much fluff I end up wanting to include. Fun fact: my original outline of this story had it at twenty chapters...you see how well that worked out...
> 
>  
> 
> Next: the Christmas Chapter™


	22. Christmastime Is Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juleka has some feelings and gets some presents.

“Today was wonderful,” Rose said sadly, her smile weighed down at the edges so that it looked a little more like a wince than a smile.

“Today was fantastic,” Juleka agreed, stepping a little closer to Rose to shield her from the wind. They were currently standing on the Lavillants’ front porch despite the cold. It was no longer snowy, the Miraculous explosion neatly clearing the streets of any remaining flakes, but it was really too cold to be lingering outside. However, both of them were loath to say goodbye and put an end to their first official date, so they were stubbornly shivering on the porch.

“Today was really, really great,” Rose said, taking a step forward so that they were pretty much chest to chest.

“Even with the akuma attack?” Juleka asked, smiling softly. That got a giggle out of Rose and Juleka proudly filed it away in her memory right next to that art competition she won when she was ten and the moment she finished the mural on her bedroom wall.

“I could have done without the akuma,” Rose admitted once her giggles subsided. Her face soon fell again. She looked up at Juleka with wide, mournful eyes. “I wish that you could have Christmas with us.”

“It’s okay,” Juleka sighed. She lifted a hand and brushed it through Rose’s bangs. Rose was shivering harder and harder and she really needed to get inside, but Juleka was just selfish enough to let the moment linger. “I understand where your parents are coming from.”

“Well, I don’t,” Rose huffed. Her pout somehow shifted from sad to annoyed in two seconds flat. “You are more family than some of the people that come around for the holidays and you’re _way_ more enjoyable.”

“Thanks,” Juleka said with a chuckle. “And I was worried you didn’t like me.” Rose’s pout swung straight back to sad.

“Juleka,” Rose chided softly. “Of course I like you. Always have, always will.” Juleka smiled a little and nodded.

“You should go,” Juleka said quietly. Rose’s face flashed to annoyance again before softening into reluctant acceptance. It really was amazing how versatile her pout was.

“Okay,” Rose sighed. She perked up a little, smiling up at Juleka in a way that shouldn’t _still_ dazzle her after months of dating, but definitely did. “Have fun at Marinette’s, okay?” Juleka nodded and leaned down to press a swift kiss against Rose’s cheek.

“Love you,” Juleka said as she started to back away.

“I love you, too,” Rose said, watching Juleka go for a moment longer. They both turned at the same moment. Rose slipped inside and Juleka walked away. And just like that, their date was done.

Juleka allowed herself a moment to grieve.

And then she allowed herself to get excited, because her first real date may have been over, but her first real Christmas was just about to begin.

 

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Juleka’s first real Christmas was about to begin and Juleka was really, really _tired_.

Somewhere between Rose’s place and her own, Juleka had lost most of her energy and now she was lethargic and sore and there was a pressure behind her eyes that told her that if she blinked for too long, her eyelids would be reluctant to open again. It had been a long day, what with panic attacks and akuma attacks and traipsing all over Paris. It really wasn’t too surprising that all she really wanted now was a nap.

But the Dupain-Chengs were expecting her and Juleka wasn’t about to leave them hanging when they had been so generous already, so she dragged herself up to her apartment and haphazardly moved through the motions of packing for the night. Juleka would have done the packing earlier, _should_ have done the packing earlier, but had been a tad bit preoccupied with first dates and meltdowns. So now Juleka threw clothes and a toothbrush in a bag and gathered the presents from Lucas, the Lavillants, and her parents (so that she’d have something to open rather than awkwardly staring at the Dupain-Chengs while they opened _their_ presents) and her presents for the Dupain-Chengs (so that she’d have something to give them to show her gratitude) and started the daunting journey over to the Dupain-Cheng house.

Thus, by the time Juleka awkwardly shuffled her things around so that she could ring the doorbell, wishing all the while that she had decided on smaller presents, she was a little more excited to see a bed than to see Christmas.

“Jules!” Marinette cried as she threw open the door, almost sounding surprised to find Juleka there even though they’d been talking about this for days.

“Hey, Marinette,” Juleka said, fighting to keep the lethargy out of her voice. She lost, her mouth gaping in a yawn as she stepped past Marinette into the building.

“Are you okay?” Marinette asked, looking over her shoulder with concern as she closed the door.

“I’m fine,” Juleka said, blinking slowly. Marinette raised an eyebrow at her. “Just a long day. You know.”

“Ah, gotcha,” Marinette said. Her concern faded a little and she smiled knowingly. “You’ve certainly been through a lot today, haven’t you?”

“Yeah, you’ll never believe it,” Juleka said flatly. “I got rescued by Ladybug and Chat Noir.”

“No way,” Marinette gasped dramatically, grinning now. She grabbed a few of Juleka’s presents before Juleka could protest and started up the stairs. Juleka followed, already feeling more awake, but still taking the steps slowly with legs that felt like they’d been replaced with lead replicas. “You actually got to meet Ladybug and Chat Noir? What were they like? I bet they were _amazing_.” Marinette giggled at her own words, turning to wink at Juleka over her shoulder.

“Eh, they were alright,” Juleka said with a shrug. Marinette pouted at her. “They stranded me on the roof of a building.” Marinette stopped walking, spinning to face Juleka with horror on her face.

“Oh no, Jules! I’m so sorry,” Marinette said earnestly. “I didn’t think- Did you get down okay?”

“No, I’m still up there, waiting for you to rescue me,” Juleka said in the driest tone she could muster. She allowed one corner of her mouth to quirk up to let Marinette know she was kidding. Marinette’s face immediately turned sheepish.

“Right. Sorry, Jules. I wasn’t thinking,” Marinette said mournfully, her head dropping.

“It’s okay,” Juleka said firmly. “You were kinda busy saving Paris and whatnot. And I got down just fine. After the security guard let me in the building.” Marinette gasped and stopped walking again. Juleka nudged her with the edge of one of her packages to get her moving. “It’s _fine_ , Marinette. It wasn’t a big deal and it wasn’t completely your fault. The people you’re used to talking to in the middle of akuma attacks can generally get off of tall buildings all by themselves.”

“I guess that’s true,” Marinette sighed, reluctantly starting up the stairs. “I’m still sorry.”

“How are _you_ not tired?” Juleka asked, not-so-subtly changing the subject before Marinette could apologize again. “I didn’t fight the akuma and I’m ready to sleep for ten years.” Marinette was silent for a moment as she considered the question, wrapping paper rustling as she shifted the packages in her hands.

“I’ve never really thought about it before, but unless an akuma attack goes late into the night, I’m never all that tired afterwards. Not unless I was tired before the akuma,” Marinette said thoughtfully. “Part of it may be that I’m used to akuma fights being part of my routine, but most of it is probably that things are just different when I’m in the suit. I’m stronger, more flexible, and I just…don’t get tired. I think it’s part of the Miraculous.” Marinette and Juleka reached the landing and stopped to look at one another for a moment.

“Huh,” Juleka said. She’d figured that the Miraculous enhanced the holder’s abilities, but she hadn’t considered physical aftereffects outside of the suit. “Are you gaining muscle outside of the suit?”

“Gaining muscle?” Marinette asked blankly.

“Yeah, like are you getting stronger in civilian form as a result of all your fighting as Ladybug?” Juleka asked, readjusting her bag on her shoulder. As much as she wanted to rest, she also wanted to know more about this. She always did.

“I…I haven’t thought about it,” Marinette said slowly. Something clicked in her head and Juleka watched it light up her face. “The other day I picked up a bag of flour and Papa was all surprised that I was able to lift it. We put it down to growing up but…am I actually getting stronger?” Marinette looked down at her hands as if she’d find answers written on her palms. Juleka hastily caught a package when Marinette tipped her pile and sent them sliding.

“Let’s talk about this later,” Juleka said, carefully maneuvering the packages back into a stable stack whilst still holding her own. “We should go inside. Your parents are probably wondering where you went.”

“Right,” Marinette said sheepishly, then pushed open the front door. Juleka was greeted by the cheerful Christmas decorations she’d helped put up and some truly wonderful smells that made Juleka wish it was time for dinner already even though they wouldn’t eat for hours.

“Jules is here!” Marinette called as she led the way into the living room. Same as last time, Mr. Dupain and Mrs. Cheng walked into the living room from the kitchen with matching smiles stretched across their faces.

“Juleka,” Mrs. Cheng said warmly. She turned to her husband for a moment. “Tom, take those presents so I can hug her, would you?”

“As you wish,” Mr. Dupain said solemnly, winking at Juleka as he took her packages from her and did the same for Marinette. As soon as Juleka’s hands were free, Mrs. Cheng enveloped her in her arms like she wasn’t planning on letting go. Juleka hugged her back and did her best to keep a tight hold on the emotions that stirred inside of her.

_The error of that decision. The error-_

“We’re so happy you could make it, Juleka,” Mrs. Cheng said as she drew back, patting Juleka’s shoulder comfortingly. Juleka nodded.

“Thank you for having me,” she said quietly.

“Of course. We’re glad you’re here,” Mr. Dupain said brightly, returning from where he’d placed the gifts underneath the tree. To Juleka’s surprise, he stepped up and wrapped his arms around her same as his wife had. Hugging Mr. Dupain was vastly different than any other hug Juleka had ever received. She could count the people who hugged her on one hand (Mrs. Lavillant, Mrs. Cheng, Marinette, Lucas, and Rose) and they were all tiny people. Sure, they still managed to make Juleka feel snuggly inside, but they didn’t surround her with warmth the way Mr. Dupain did when he bent down to hug her. It made her feel…safe? Or maybe just…loved. Either way, she missed the sensation when he let her go.

“Alright, now that Juleka is here, Christmas can officially begin,” Mr. Dupain announced with a clap of his hands and Juleka was suddenly much more awake. “First, we snack. Then, we sleep. Then, we go to mass.”

“Oh, Juleka, we forgot to ask if you were alright with going to midnight mass with us,” Mrs. Cheng said, looking to Juleka with concern creasing her forehead.

“That’s fine,” Juleka said, setting her bag down by the stairs and shrugging off her coat. “I haven’t been in a really long time, but I’d like to go.”

“Good,” Mrs. Cheng said, her worry relaxing into a smile. “Then let’s get started with the snacks, because you, my dear, look like you are ready for the sleep part.” Juleka smiled back and nodded emphatically and reveled in the laughs she received.

Mrs. Cheng led the way into the kitchen and Mr. Dupain and Marinette followed, bumping hips with identical smiles before taking their places at the table. Juleka brought up the rear and tried not to be _too_ amazed that she was part of this, that this was real. The table was already set with bread and cheese and fruit. It wasn’t a heavy meal, just enough to tide them over until after the midnight mass, when they’d eat for real. For a moment, they were all silent save for requests to pass the croissants or the strawberries.

“So, Marinette tells us you had a date today,” Mrs. Cheng said after moment, her tone completely casual, as if the sentence didn’t surprise Juleka so much that she almost choked on her bread.

“Maman,” Marinette complained, setting down her half-buttered croissant in order to properly and wholeheartedly frown at her mother.

“What?” Mrs. Cheng asked serenely, but with a twinkle in her eye that clearly communicated her amusement.

“We’re not allowed to be curious?” Mr. Dupain demanded with a grin that was much less subtle than his wife’s.

“No, it’s okay,” Juleka blurted once her throat was no longer blocked by excellently baked baguette. “I just didn’t expect…” Then Juleka paused as she tried to discern what exactly had surprised her. Was it that it was _Mrs. Cheng_ asking, or was it that she’d asked? She decided that she probably shouldn’t have been so shocked. The Dupain-Chengs were simply those kinds of people. People that cared.

Juleka also decided that she needed to clamp down on her emotions, because if she was going to be so shocked every time the Dupain-Chengs did something nice, she’d probably end up in tears at some point and Juleka was not allowing that.

“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable,” Mrs. Cheng said softly, pausing her eating to consider Juleka carefully, the mischievous twinkle gone from her eyes.

“No, it’s really fine,” Juleka said firmly. She paused for a moment before continuing, almost painfully aware of the warmth rising in her cheeks. “I…had a really good day.” Juleka peeked past her bangs to see all three Dupain-Chengs grinning at her.

“What did you two do?” Mr. Dupain asked, popping a grape into his mouth while still grinning at Juleka.

“I took her to this place near Chinatown I go to a lot and we had Chinese food,” Juleka said, reaching for the sugar to pour over her grapefruit half. “Then I tried to take her to see the Museum of Romantics over in the ninth arrondissement-”

“Ooo, _great_ date spot,” Mrs. Cheng said with a nod of approval. She looked over at her husband fondly. “Tom took me there once, during the summer when the tea shop is open. It’s very romantic.”

“Yeah, it would have been. Except we got caught up in the akuma attack,” Juleka said. Mrs. Cheng and Mr. Dupain both looked up in alarm and Juleka continued quickly. “Rose and I are fine; we didn’t get hurt or anything. But we both decided that the museum could wait for another time. We were kind of tired.”

“I’ll bet,” Mr. Dupain said with a shake of his head. Then he stopped, his eyebrows furrowing. “Rose…is the small pink-haired one? Or the small blonde one?”

“Small blonde one,” Marinette said.

“With the pixie cut?” Mr. Dupain asked. Marinette and Juleka both nodded. Mr. Dupain’s face split into that grin again. “I remember her. You were sitting next to her when I came for Career Day. Were you two already dating then? Or is this new?”

“Was this your first date?” Mrs. Cheng asked excitedly. Juleka looked from Mrs. Cheng to Mr. Dupain to Marinette, all of them wearing the same intrigued, excited expressions. Juleka reminded herself to _stop being surprised_. This was their normal even though it had never really been Juleka’s. It had been similar when Juleka first started to become closer to the Lavillants, though they never offered this kind of enthusiastic interest.

“We weren’t together then, but it isn’t really new. We’ve been dating for a couple months,” Juleka explained, turning her attention to digging at her grapefruit so that she didn’t have to look at the Dupain-Chengs while she blushed. “But it was our first real date.”

“Congratulations,” Mrs. Cheng said warmly. Juleka blushed even harder, but smiled back at her.

“Your daughter helped me out a lot this morning,” Juleka said, throwing a sly smile in Marinette’s direction. Marinette’s eyes widened slightly, but she managed to smile back. And it wasn’t even her completely-definitely-thoroughly-innocent smile either. “She picked out this outfit.”

“Nice job,” Mr. Dupain said, holding out a fist for Marinette to bump.

“Thanks, but it wasn’t just me. Adrien helped,” Marinette said, her face going dreamy just as it always did. Mr. Dupain and Mrs. Cheng exchanged a glance that Juleka had to classify as gleefully conspiring, before turning to Marinette with innocent smiles that their daughter had certainly not inherited.

“Adrien helped, huh?” Mr. Dupain asked nonchalantly, snagging another croissant like it was no big deal.

“Do you three hang out a lot?” Mrs. Cheng asked, thoroughly unconcerned with anything but her grapes.

“Not really,” Marinette sighed sadly. Then she paused, tilting her head as she thought about something. “Though I guess we have been hanging out more lately. Adrien and I are both friends with Juleka. Juleka and I actually became good friends pretty recently and now that I think about it-” Juleka quickly interrupted Marinette’s train of thought with the loudest yawn she could realistically get away with, stretching her arms, closing her eyes, doing the best she could to telegraph _tired_ to her hosts.

“Looks like someone is ready for the sleep stage of the evening,” Mrs. Cheng said with a chuckle. “Have you girls had enough to eat for now?”

“Yes, Maman,” Marinette said cheerfully, already standing with her plate.

“Leave the plates. We’ll take care of them,” Mr. Dupain said, waving his hand at Marinette. “You two go ahead and get to bed. We’ll wake you at eleven for mass.” Marinette hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Juleka and set her plate back down on the table, leaning over to kiss her father on the cheek.

“Thanks, Papa,” Marinette said, rounding the table to kiss her mother on the cheek as well.

“No problem,” Mrs. Cheng said, smiling warmly at both Marinette and Juleka. “We’ll see you in a couple hours. Sleep sweet.”

Juleka rose from the table with an awkward wave for Mr. Dupain and Mrs. Cheng and followed Marinette. Marinette picked up Juleka’s bag before she could protest and started up the stairs.

“How do you want to sleep?” Marinette asked over her shoulder as she pushed open the trapdoor. “The bed isn’t huge, but there’s plenty of space for both of us so I’m okay with sharing it. Or I can sleep on the lounge if you don’t want to share.”

“You don’t have to move for me,” Juleka said. “I’ll take the lounge.”

“You are a _guest_ , Jules,” Marinette said firmly, planting her hands on her hips once she’d set Juleka’s bag down. “No matter what, you’re getting the bed.” Juleka opened her mouth to argue again, but Marinette simply raised an eyebrow and Juleka sighed.

“We can share,” Juleka relented, going over to her bag and carefully removing her pajamas.

“Hi, Jules,” a much higher voice said and Juleka looked up to see Tikki zooming over to hover in front of her.

“Hey, Tikki,” Juleka said, zipping her bag back up and straightening so that she could look at Tikki. “How are you?”

“Christmas time is also cookie time, so I’m pretty good,” Tikki giggled. “How was your date?”

“It was really great,” Juleka said, heat returning to her cheeks as she determinedly examined her pajamas.

“Ooo, earlier it was good and now it’s great,” Marinette said, coming up to stand beside them with her own pajamas (pink and polka dotted, what a surprise) and a delighted smile.

“It was both good _and_ great,” Juleka said, trying to look stern and failing, unable to contain the smile tugging at her lips. Marinette and Tikki both giggled.

“Did she like your outfit?” Marinette asked, almost bouncing on her toes in her excitement.

“Yes,” Juleka said, blushing all over again at the memory.

“Did you guys hold hands the entire time?” Marinette asked, grinning so hard that Juleka’s cheeks twinged in sympathy.

“We did a lot of hand holding, yes,” Juleka said, ducking her head so that her bangs could at least partially cover her blush.

“Did you guys kiss?” Tikki asked. When Juleka’s head flew up to look at Tikki in surprise, she saw that she was hovering by Marinette with an almost identical grin on her little face.

“I expect this from her, but _you_?” Juleka asked Tikki with a shake of her head. She was still incapable of looking stern due to her unrelenting smile (everyone was grinning _too much_ today, it was _weird_ ), but she still poked a finger at Tikki and Marinette that did nothing to stop their giggles.

“Well, did you?” Tikki asked innocently. Juleka looked from her expectant face to Marinette’s and sighed. Then she nodded. Both Marinette and Tikki let out little whoops and Marinette held out a fist for Tikki to tap.

“Was it your first kiss?” Marinette asked.

“Aren’t we supposed to be sleeping?” Juleka asked, holding up her pajamas pointedly.

“It was, wasn’t it?” Tikki said gleefully. They were honestly having way too much fun with this.

“No, it wasn’t,” Juleka admitted and Tikki and Marinette exchanged delighted glances before Juleka held up a hand. “I'm tired and I’m starting to get kind of sore and I need sleep, so please save the interrogation for later.” Tikki and Marinette pouted briefly and then they both nodded reluctantly. Satisfied, Juleka turned and started changing into her pajamas.

“Jules,” Marinette gasped. Juleka looked up to see Marinette halfway through changing into her own pajamas and staring at Juleka’s ribcage.

“What?” Juleka asked, following Marinette’s gaze. Then she got why Marinette was staring. Her sides and arms were peppered with bruises. “Oh. Must have gotten these during the attacks earlier.” Juleka poked a dark bruise on her arm and winced.

“Doesn’t Lucky Charm normally fix those things?” Marinette asked, alarm widening her eyes.

“I don’t know,” Juleka said with a shrug. “I got these from people, not an akuma. Maybe it doesn’t extend that far.”

“She’s right,” Tikki agreed sadly. “Sometimes the Lucky Charm can’t fix damage that humans have done if they weren’t under the influence of an akuma. Even if they did it because of an akuma. It has a lot of power, but it can’t fix everything.”

“But…” Marinette said, her voice trailing off as she searched for words.

“You saved me, Marinette,” Juleka said quietly. “You did what you could.”

“But you’re still hurt,” Marinette said, her gaze still fixed on Juleka’s bruises.

“That’s not your fault,” Tikki said, floating up to force Marinette to look at her. “You did everything you could and you saved a lot of people, Marinette.”

“You can’t worry about a couple of bruises,” Juleka said as softly as she could. She reached for her sleep shirt and pulled it on, ignoring the protests of her muscles. Marinette seemed to relax a little with most of the bruises out of sight.

“But-” Marinette started to protest again, but Juleka cut her off.

“I’m okay, Marinette,” Juleka said firmly. “ _You_ saved me, remember? I’m okay.” Marinette regarded her for a long moment, obviously reluctant to let it go, to let it be okay, even though this was far beyond her control. Finally, she nodded and finished putting on her pajamas, not exactly _happy_ , but willing to move on.

Tikki led the way up to the bed with Marinette and Juleka climbing up after her the old-fashioned way, using the ladder. Marinette settled underneath the comforter on the side farthest from the wall, leaving plenty of room for Juleka to crawl in next to her. Juleka laid down with her head resting against the giant stuffed cat and felt relief flood through her body as she finally let all of her muscles release.

“Sleep sweet,” Tikki said quietly as she settled in the space between Marinette and Juleka.

“You too,” Juleka murmured back, already losing the battle against unconsciousness.

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Juleka honestly could not remember the last time a human voice had woken her up. There had to have been a time when her parents woke her, a time before alarm clocks, but Juleka didn’t remember it. She really wished she did, because the sound of Mrs. Cheng calling for them was kind of wonderful.

“Marinette! Juleka! It’s time to get up!” Mrs. Cheng called, her voice floating past the trapdoor and gently pulling Juleka back to consciousness. The arm that hit Juleka in the face was less gentle.

“Oh, Jules! I’m so sorry, I forgot you were there,” Marinette said quickly, sitting up abruptly and letting cold air under the blanket, making extra sure that Juleka was awake.

“It’s okay,” Juleka said, smiling up at Marinette to let her know that it really was okay. Juleka stretched a little, noting and promptly dismissing the fact that her muscles were much stiffer now and extraordinarily opposed to moving. She felt rested, but her brain was also telling her that she needed to go back to sleep because it was dark outside and her internal clock was set firmly on _late_. Juleka fumbled around for her phone and checked the time. 11:02.

“We should get up,” Marinette said through a huge yawn. She then proceeded to flop back down onto the bed.

“Come on,” Juleka said, sitting up herself and nudging Marinette until she followed suit with a loud groan. Juleka crawled towards the ladder and off the bed, moving slowly through the dark room just in case the furniture wasn’t quite where she thought it should be.

“Marinette, if you don’t get up, you’ll make everyone late for midnight mass,” Tikki said, her voice floating down from the bed. Juleka looked up and squinted through the darkness to see that Marinette was still sitting on the bed. Juleka heard another groan and then sounds of movement that said that Marinette was finally getting off the bed. A dark shape darted across the room and then the light came on, causing Juleka to blink against the sudden brightness. She glanced over to see Tikki hovering by the light switch.

“Thanks, Tikki,” Juleka said, earning herself a smile. Marinette just groaned again.

“She’s not much of a morning person,” Tikki stage whispered, zipping over to Juleka to join her in watching Marinette descend the ladder in the most disgruntled fashion possible. Marinette reached the ground and swayed for a moment, blinking at Juleka and Tikki in a manner that probably would have been a glare if Marinette had been awake enough for such facial expressions.

Juleka shook her head fondly and turned to her bag, carefully removing clothing from its depths without disturbing the contents too much. Marinette had informed her that they normally dressed up for midnight mass, so rather than go back to the sweater/skirt combo, Juleka had opted for last year’s Leblanc Family Christmas dress, dark green with black embroidery and long sleeves that gathered at the cuffs. She wore the same black knit tights with it, but exchanged the boots for flats. With her dress on, her pajamas stored for later, and a quick braid of her hair, Juleka was ready to go.

“You look so nice, Jules,” Marinette exclaimed when Juleka finished braiding her hair. Juleka looked up to see that Marinette had tucked her hair into a bun and was dressed in a traditional Chinese dress, red silk and embroidered with gold.

“You too,” Juleka said, grinning at Marinette as excitement bubbled up in her stomach.

“Ready?” Marinette asked both Juleka and Tikki. Tikki answered by flying over and taking her place in Marinette’s purse and Juleka nodded.

“Ah, here come the lovely ladies,” Mr. Dupain said as Marinette and Juleka descended the stairs. The Dupain-Chengs were waiting on the couch, Mr. Dupain in a suit that seemed at odds with his cuddly nature and Mrs. Cheng in a darker, longer version of Marinette’s dress that suited her perfectly.

“You look wonderful girls,” Mrs. Cheng said, rising from the couch to grin at them. “That’s a very beautiful dress, Juleka.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Cheng,” Juleka said, ducking her head only slightly.

“What about mine, Maman?” Marinette asked, mischief glimmering in her eyes.

“Oh, hush, Marinette. I can’t compliment a dress I helped make,” Mrs. Cheng said, her tone chiding, but her face softened in a fond smile.

“You made this?” Juleka asked, looking back at Marinette’s beautiful dress.

“Where do you think I got my sewing chops from?” Marinette asked with a soft giggle, smiling proudly at her mother.

“You did a great job,” Juleka said, offering a small smile to Mrs. Cheng.

“Thank you, dear. I got a lot of help from my mother,” Mrs. Cheng said, patting Juleka’s shoulder on her way towards the door. “Now, if everyone’s ready, we should get going.”

“Yes, we can’t be late to midnight mass,” Mr. Dupain said in a mock stern voice, stepping forward to help his wife into her coat. Mrs. Cheng paused to raise an eyebrow at him.

“You mean like we were last year, Tom?” Mrs. Cheng asked sweetly, finally allowing him to slip her coat on for her.

“And the year before that,” Marinette piped up, pulling on her gloves.

“See, I never have to bother remembering anything with these ladies around,” Mr. Dupain said, grinning widely at Juleka. “They have such excellent memories.” Juleka snorted as she buttoned the last button on her coat and proceeded Mr. Dupain out the door.

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Juleka was no stranger to the beauty of Christmas Eve. She watched from her bedroom window every year as one by one, the churches of Paris lit up and set their bells ringing with carols. She reveled in the stained glass glittering against the Paris skyline, the jubilant songs resonating from rooftops and somehow never clashing, even the hundreds of thousands of people walking to mass, laughing and talking and singing and celebrating. She always thought (told herself to think) that it didn’t matter that she wasn’t down there on the streets, joining the streams of people flowing to the churches. She’d never wondered (had tried not to wonder) what she was missing.

Joining in the river of people walking through the streets to the churches of their choosing was completely different than watching from above. Walking beside Marinette and her parents, laughing with them and talking with them and singing with them and celebrating with them, carried its own kind of energy, this larger than life _joy_ that bubbled up in her ribcage until it colored everything beautiful in a way that Juleka had never felt alone in her room. The stained glass windows of the churches were bigger and brighter and more beautiful up close. The voices of choirs floated past colored glass to mix with the buzz of life and happiness that surrounded them, somehow including passersby in masses that had already begun, that likely had been going for hours already. This wild happiness, this vivacity, this celebration was something most Parisians experienced every year, but it was so entirely new to Juleka. It made it all the more precious.

The church the Dupain-Chengs always attended for midnight mass was a small one, still beautiful, but nowhere near as grand or as packed as places like Notre Dame would be that night. Juleka had always done midnight mass at huge churches back when her parents took her, but she knew she preferred this space, where the music was closer and the emotion was warmer. Juleka didn’t pay attention to the entire mass. She wasn’t Christian, only had the vaguest grasp on Christian doctrine and didn’t particularly care about the birth of Christ (which, according to several experts, would actually have been in, like, _March_ or something, but whatever), but Juleka could feel the joy in the room. Even though she didn’t care about this religion, she did care about being a part of this tradition, about _feeling_ like a part of this tradition for the first time.

Somewhere in Paris, Rose was listening to a mass just like this one. And so was Adrien and Alya and Nino was probably doing the same in Italy and Nathanaël in Germany, hundreds of miles away, but strangely connected by this one experience that they all shared. That Juleka finally got to share.

By the time their mass was over (and it was a relatively short one as far as midnight masses go), Juleka was already a mess of feelings and the night wasn’t even done yet. Walking back through the streets towards the Dupain-Cheng house was even more overwhelming than the walk to the church had been. There was even more music spilling out of churches, more people weaving through the streets as if it was mid-day rather than midnight. Some people were burning yule logs and some people were singing carols. Juleka took in as much as possible, but generally settled for wondering at the laughter of the Dupain-Chengs, holding onto _her_ little miracle like a lifeline.

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They were almost home when snowflakes began to fall.

“Ah!” Mr. Dupain cried, gazing up towards the sky in wonder. “Snow. You know what they say about snow on Christmas.” Mr. Dupain turned his smile on his family.

“Snowy Christmas, wonderful summer,” the Dupain-Chengs said in unison. Marinette giggled, grinning at Juleka before she leaned into her father, her hands stuffed deep into her coat pockets and speaking loudly to be heard over the church bells.

“You always say that, Papa,” Marinette said, giggling again.

“And it is always a wonderful summer, is it not?” Mr. Dupain demanded. Marinette and Mrs. Cheng exchanged a look, surprising Juleka by turning to include her in their exasperation. Mr. Dupain only continued to smile at them as they reached the house and he held open the door. They all tramped up the stairs, coats and hats and gloves coming off as they stepped into the warmth.

“And now it is time for the most important part of the evening!” Mr. Dupain burst out when they reached the living room and had put all of their coats away.

“Réveillon!” Marinette and Mr. Dupain cried in unison, Marinette throwing her hands in the air, excitement and cold turning her cheeks red.

“Marinette, Juleka, you girls set the table while we get the food ready,” Mrs. Cheng instructed, already moving towards the kitchen. Mr. Dupain and Marinette followed smoothly, falling into synch without any effort. And somehow, they managed to fit Juleka into their pattern, Marinette handing Juleka dishes to place on the table, then silverware, then napkins. Mr. Dupain and Mrs. Cheng brought platter after platter of food to the table, setting Juleka’s stomach rumbling. There was lobster and oysters, cold roast duck and foie gras with currant jam, a little dish of caviar and bread probably baked fresh that morning, cheeses and fruits, a beautiful salad, and of course, the Christmas log, a decadent chocolate sponge cake with buttercream frosting. Mr. Dupain surprised Juleka by setting down glasses of champagne next to all four plates, but he only winked at her and took his seat.

Juleka let herself get swept up in Christmas Eve dinner with the Dupain-Chengs. She let herself savor the delicious foods melting on her tongue, let herself laugh along with their jokes and their stories, let herself feel like she belonged. She drank her champagne and ate her cake and didn’t even compare this warm, joyful little dinner to the detached Réveillons of her past more than once.

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It felt like it was hours later that Juleka and Marinette finally trudged up the stairs to Marinette’s room, stuffed full of good food and good company. It’s possible that it was hours later, but Juleka couldn’t find room in her dopey, happy brain to care about the hour. It was Christmas. It was _Christmas Day_ and already it was more than Juleka could ever have hoped for. And now she was looking forward to the moment just a few hours away, the moment she could finally give the Dupain-Chengs something in return for everything they’d given her. Juleka started changing, laying out her dress and changing into her pajamas, humming a carol under her breath.

Juleka turned to say something to Marinette. Possibly about how much she loved being here, or else how much she was looking forward to that day. However, when she looked up from her bag, she saw Marinette staring at her ribcage again, her eyes wide and unfocused. They were covered now by Juleka’s sleep shirt, but she had no doubt that the bruises were still weighing on Marinette’s mind.

“It wasn’t your fault, Marinette,” Juleka said softly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tikki poke her head out of Marinette’s purse, likely alerted by Juleka’s words. Marinette jumped a little, her eyes flying up to Juleka’s face.

“I know that,” Marinette said quickly, offering a strained smile and a wave of her hand as she turned to start changing. “That wasn’t what I was thinking about.”

“Then what were you thinking about?” Juleka asked, folding her dress and carefully placing it in her bag, her fingers brushing against a hard edge as she arranged her clothes. She kept her eyes on her hands rather than looking at Marinette like she wanted to, rather than discerning Marinette’s thoughts for herself.

“Just excited for Christmas,” Marinette said, too quickly, with the wrong kind of nervous energy. Juleka didn’t believe it for a second, but she didn’t push. Instead, she busied herself with her bag until Marinette was done changing and they climbed up into bed, Tikki once again settling between them.

It had been a long day and, despite the nap they’d taken earlier, Juleka could use some sleep. But at the moment, she was too keyed up, too excited to consider sleeping just yet. And there was a weird energy in the room that told her that perhaps Marinette wasn’t ready to sleep either. So Juleka waited, staring up at the ceiling in the darkness.

“Hey, Jules?” Marinette said a moment later. Juleka turned her head to look at Marinette, even though she was little more than a shape in the darkness. Juleka could just make out Marinette’s profile, her nose pointed up towards the ceiling.

“Yeah?” Juleka asked, just about holding her breath, waiting for Marinette to speak.

“I…never mind,” Marinette said quickly, shaking her head a little, the pillow rustling as her hair rubbed against it.

“Whatever’s on your mind, you can say it,” Juleka said softly, pushing down the curiosity and replacing it with the patience that had gotten her through months of watching this girl save Paris.

“I know,” Marinette said slowly, letting out a sigh. “I just- It’s Christmas. My problems can wait.”

“You’re right,” Juleka said. She heard a quiet squeak that was probably Tikki. “It is Christmas. Which means that I’m going to be too excited to sleep for a while, so we might as well talk.” This got a short chuckle out of Marinette. Silence fell for a moment and Juleka felt Marinette gathering courage.

“Today- or I guess it’s yesterday now- on the rooftop…” Marinette said slowly. A spark of surprise flitted through Juleka, followed by a dawning realization as to what Marinette might be worried about, followed by a thrill of excitement. She pushed it all down and replaced it with the patience and waited for Marinette to continue. When she did speak again, her voice was quiet and unsure. “It was the first time it really hit home that you know him, you know?” Juleka nodded even though Marinette couldn’t see her. “Before that, I’d _known_ , but it hadn’t really sunk in. But you really know him and he really goes to our school and… _he_ calls you Jules, too.” Marinette fell silent for a moment, gears grinding in her head so loudly that Juleka could practically hear them.

“You know him and it’s okay,” Marinette said finally, her voice a little louder, but no less uncertain. “And you know _me_ and it’s okay and we could know each other and it’d probably be _great_ , but I’m too damn scared to do anything even though he wants to know so badly, I _know_ he does. We’re so close to each other all the time and yet we’re so far and it’s _my fault_ and I just-” Marinette broke off, plunging them into silence. Juleka may not have been able to see her, but she could read the distress all the same. Juleka wanted to offer solutions and promises and she wanted to put this all back together like it was one of her puzzles, but it wasn’t all that easy despite what her brain was telling her. So Juleka pushed the logic aside and replaced it with the patience and she waited.

“I just don’t know what to do, Jules,” Marinette whispered, her voice broken and muffled behind her hands. Juleka heard a soft coo and knew that Tikki was doing her best to comfort Marinette, but the kwami stayed quiet. The solutions in Juleka’s head perked up again, but she pushed them back down. Marinette didn’t need to be told what to do. Not right now.

“I’ll be right back,” Juleka murmured, scrambling towards the ladder. She imagined that Marinette and Tikki were probably exchanging a confused look right now, but she ignored it, shooting for her bag instead. They would get it soon enough.

Juleka carefully removed the frame from her bag, clutching it to her chest as she climbed one handed back up to the bed where Marinette was now sitting up waiting for her. She worried for a brief moment, as she searched for her phone and the light it could provide, that this wasn’t the right thing to do, that this wouldn’t help at all, that it was probably pretty stupid all things considered. But she pushed it aside and replaced it with the bit of courage she was trying to impart. Her fingers finally found her phone and she paused, looking through darkness at Marinette, taking a deep breath.

“Jules, what-” Marinette started.

“I was going to give this to you tomorrow,” Juleka said in a rush, still holding the frame to her chest. “After we did all the gifts, I was going to find a moment to give this to you when your parents weren’t around to see. I probably shouldn’t have made it at all, but I just- I wanted you to see...” Juleka took another deep breath and opened her phone, turning on the flashlight. The light hit the bed first, but it was enough to see Marinette’s confused expression, the slight reddening of her eyes. Juleka turned the frame towards Marinette before she could think twice about it and lifted the phone so that light spilled across it.

It wasn’t a very big painting. Juleka had done it on a whim a couple weeks before. She usually tried not to draw Marinette or Adrien in conjunction with anything Miraculous, but it just…felt _right_. It wasn’t very big, but Juleka couldn’t deny that it was striking. The painting depicted Marinette in vibrant watercolors. She was mid-transformation, bathed in pale pink light, red and black spreading up her body as she leaped. Whether she was putting on or taking off the spots was up for debate, but Marinette’s face was fierce and determined all the same, eyes lit with inner fire, locked on her goal. Juleka had seen this expression on both Ladybug and Marinette, the same determination, the same fire. The same courage.

“This is how I see you. As both,” Juleka said quietly, risking a glance up at Marinette. She was staring at the painting, her eyes wide, her mouth slightly open in surprise. She was quiet for a long time, just staring, not moving, barely _breathing_ as far as Juleka could tell. Just staring. Something in Juleka wanted to start doubting the quality of the painting, but she ignored that negative little voice and focused on the reason she’d brought it out in the first place. She took another deep breath, finally drawing Marinette’s wide eyes up to her face.

“You are stronger than you think you are,” Juleka said. For a moment, Marinette just continued to stare at Juleka. Then she launched herself forward, throwing her arms around Juleka’s neck and narrowly avoiding crushing the painting.

“Thank you,” Marinette said. “It’s beautiful. Thank you so much.” Juleka nodded a little against Marinette’s shoulder. Eventually, Marinette sat back, smiling softly.

“I can’t really tell you what to do,” Juleka said, wishing fervently that she could as Marinette snuffled quietly. “But you’ll figure it out. I know you will.” Marinette hesitated, but she nodded.

“What would I do without you, Jules?” Marinette asked fondly. Juleka shrugged, setting the painting aside, turning off her phone light, and crawling back under the covers.

“No idea,” Juleka said, flopping back against the pillows. Two giggles reached her ears as Marinette laid down next to her. The room seemed a little brighter now as dawn crept closer, but Juleka’s eyes were heavy, emotional turmoil lulling her to sleep.

“Merry Christmas, Jules,” Marinette murmured. “You too, Tikki.”

“Merry Christmas,” Tikki piped up from somewhere in between them.

“Merry Christmas,” Juleka replied, her eyes falling shut and sleep wrapping around her with lazy fingers. Before Juleka could submit to unconsciousness, she felt a weight settle on her pillow, close to her ear.

“Thank you, Juleka,” Tikki whispered.

Juleka thought for a long moment about the emotion that had burst out of Marinette, the words that had punched free like they'd been building for a while. Juleka wondered just how long Marinette had been thinking about it, whether she had been worrying about it all day, what had made it come out now.

But Juleka didn't have answers for those questions, so eventually she put Marinette's problems aside and fell asleep.

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Yes, Juleka decided when she woke up to the smell of cinnamon rolls, she could definitely get used to this.

Juleka immediately squashed the thought, because this was not hers to get used to and that hurt a little more than she had anticipated, but it didn’t dampen her mood too much. Juleka still managed to allow herself a moment to float on the edge of consciousness for a little while longer, the promise of a delicious breakfast and a wonderful day filling her with warmth. The sun was shining and Marinette was snoring peacefully at her side and Mr. Dupain and Mrs. Cheng were probably downstairs waiting with some really tasty cinnamon rolls and it was _Christmas_.

Juleka was not about to let ridiculous hopes ruin that.

Instead, she sat up, stretching her arms slowly, wincing when her still-sore muscles objected to the movement. Juleka ignored it, bending forward to stretch her reluctant back muscles further. She let out a quiet groan and felt Marinette stir next to her.

“Morning,” Marinette muttered. Juleka looked over her shoulder to see Marinette stretching like a cat, her hands reaching for the far wall, a sleepy smile seeping onto her face.

“Good morning,” Jules replied.

“Good morning!” Tikki said, flying up from her place amongst the blankets. She waved at Juleka, a bright smile on her face, making her chuckle and wave back. Then she flew over and hovered over the painting. Juleka had all but forgotten the conversation of the night before- or rather earlier that morning. “This really is beautiful, Juleka.” Juleka felt her face heat up and she let her bangs fall in front of her face.

“Thank you,” she said quietly, also looking down at the painting, lit up by the bright morning sun.

“She’ll probably have to hide this, though,” Tikki said sadly, gently touching Marinette’s image.

“I expected as much,” Juleka said with a shrug. “It’s honestly a danger to have it at all. I’d understand if she just got rid of it.”

“No!” Marinette cried, suddenly sitting straight up. Juleka looked over at her in surprise. “You made it for me, Jules; I’m not just gonna get rid of it.”

“It’s kind of dangerous to keep…” Juleka said tentatively. Marinette firmly shook her head.

“I don’t care. I’ll hide it, because I kind of have to, but I won’t throw it away. I love it,” Marinette said fiercely. Juleka stared at her for a moment, surprised by her unexpected vehemence. Then she smiled, seeing the same determination she’d painted in her portrait.

“Okay,” Juleka said easily. “It’s yours now, so you can do what you’d like with it. Including keep it.”

“Good,” Marinette said decisively. Then her nose twitched and her face split into a grin. “I smell cinnamon rolls. Let’s go downstairs.” With that, Juleka and Marinette said their goodbyes to Tikki and made their way downstairs, not bothering to change out of pajamas. Apparently, pajama Christmas was a tradition for the Dupain-Chengs, because Mr. Dupain and Mrs. Cheng were both in their pajamas as well.

“Merry Christmas girls,” Mrs. Cheng said cheerfully from her place on the couch, her hands wrapped around a mug. Mr. Dupain sat next to her, his arm around her shoulders, his other hand holding another mug. Marinette and Juleka returned the greeting on their way to the kitchen where two plates of cinnamon rolls and two mugs of hot chocolate were waiting.

“You two sleep well?” Mr. Dupain asked as they came back into the living room with their breakfasts.

“As well as two teenage girls can sleep on Christmas Eve, I suppose?” Mrs. Cheng asked, a soft smile lighting up her face.

“Of course,” Marinette said past a mouthful of cinnamon roll.

“These are delicious,” Juleka said, earning smiles from all of the Dupain-Chengs. “As always.”

“Thank you, Juleka,” Mr. Dupain said. He carefully set his mug down and leaned forward, clapping his hands together. “Well…shall Christmas begin?”

“I believe it shall,” Mrs. Cheng said solemnly. Mr. Dupain heaved himself up off the couch and went over to the bookcase where the stockings, now full, were hung. It was only then that Juleka noticed that a fourth stocking had joined those of the Dupain-Chengs. One beautifully embroidered and stitched with Juleka’s name.

“We decided that you deserved a stocking too,” Marinette said, gently bumping Juleka’s shoulder with her own when Juleka turned to her with wide eyes. “Maman’s been stitching nonstop for days.”

“I-” Juleka had to stop to clear her throat. “Thank you.” She took her stocking when Mr. Dupain brought it to her, fingers skimming over the intricate embroidery almost reverently. She looked back up at Marinette, her heart in her throat. “It’s beautiful.”

“You’re welcome,” Mrs. Cheng said pleasantly. She motioned for Juleka to open her stocking before turning to her own. Juleka went through her stocking, pulling out nice candies, bags of roasted nuts, and little Ladybug and Chat Noir keychains that forced Marinette to cover up her snort with a cough.

“Thank you,” Juleka said, looking up from her gifts to see Mr. Dupain and Mrs. Cheng watching them with smiling faces.

“Oh, this is nothing, Juleka. Don’t thank us yet,” Mrs. Cheng said with a fond shake of her head. Juleka felt her eyebrows furrow. She knew that she had plenty to thank them for, but Mrs. Cheng made it sound like they’d gotten something else for Juleka, like a real Christmas present. But that didn’t make any sense. Not when they’d already given her-

“Alright, guests get to open presents first,” Mr. Dupain declared, once again rising to push a stack of present towards Juleka, one that was decidedly bigger than just the three presents Juleka had brought with her. Juleka looked from the stack of presents, which included the gifts from Lucas, the Lavillants, and her parents, to the Dupain-Chengs, who were all watching her expectantly.

“These are all for me?” Juleka asked blankly.

“Yup,” Marinette said brightly. “We didn’t know exactly what to get you, but I think you’re going to like them.” Marinette’s smile faded a little when Juleka only continued to stare at her. “Jules?”

“I didn’t-” Juleka stopped, looking back at the stack of presents, bigger than any Juleka had ever been able to claim. She hadn’t expected to receive anything more from the Dupain-Chengs than she already had.

“Did you think we would invite you to Christmas and then not get you anything?” Mrs. Cheng asked, her face drawn into a frown.

“No, no, of course not, I just…” Juleka trailed off, looking around at this ridiculously kind family and feeling a frustrating case of déjà vu. She ducked her head so that she wouldn’t have to see their sympathy. “I just thought that this was my present,” Juleka said quietly. Her confession was greeted by silence.

“What do you mean?” Marinette asked after a moment. Juleka glanced up at her, caught her confusion.

“This,” Juleka repeated, gesturing at the room, at the stocking, at the food. “Being allowed to be here.” The confusion on Marinette’s face cleared, but it was immediately replaced with sadness that Juleka was not any happier to see.

“Oh, Jules,” Marinette said, her voice small and frustrated and sad all at once.

“If I have my way, we’ll do much more for you, Juleka,” Mrs. Cheng said firmly, steel in her eyes even as she smiled at Juleka. She nodded at the presents. “Open your presents. We’d really love it if you would accept them.”

Juleka couldn’t find a way to say no to that.

She wasn’t sure if she wanted to.

So instead of thinking through that particular crisis, Juleka reached for the present at the top of her stack and tried really hard not to cry.

The package was unexpectedly heavy and wrapped in blue paper covered in penguins. The tag said it was from Marinette. For one absurd moment, Juleka worried about damaging the paper, then she realized that she was keeping the Dupain-Chengs waiting. She ripped into the paper, letting the sound and sensation ground her in reality. The paper gave way to a plain white box. Juleka opened it and took out two mugs with words on them in water colors. One said “paint water” and the other said “not paint water.”

“Do you like them?” Marinette asked, bringing Juleka’s gaze up to her nervous grin. Juleka felt her face split into a wide grin in return and nodded as hard as she could.

“They’re perfect. Thank you,” Juleka said, looking back down at her new favorite mugs, already envisioning them sitting on her desk. She set them aside, carefully out of the way so that they couldn’t get hurt.

“Good,” Marinette said, blushing a little as she waggled her fingers at Juleka. Juleka took the hint and reached for another package.

The next two gifts were both wrapped in the signature red and white striped wrapping paper that the Lavillants used. Juleka opened the bigger one first, unsurprised to see that Mr. and Mrs. Lavillant had given her a pair of art books. She would put them with the others she’d received from them over the years. The other package was much smaller and Juleka was delighted to find that Lucas had made her some bookmarks out of popsicle sticks, some with pompoms on the end, some with animals, two that had been turned into Chat Noir and Ladybug. The Chat Noir one had clearly had the most time spent on it.

Then there was the envelope from her parents.

Juleka knew what was going to be inside. She was unsurprised to open it to find the usual check. She didn’t look at the Dupain-Chengs, but the silence said it all.

Juleka moved on quickly.

“That’s from Adrien,” Marinette blurted when Juleka reached for a rectangular gift wrapped in silver paper. Mr. Dupain, Mrs. Cheng, and Juleka all looked at her. “He gave it to me to give to you. You know, after the…thing. The other day.” Marinette was blushing hard, trying her best to look innocent and failing miserably. Juleka was trying to not be surprised again and failing miserably. She shook her head at herself and at the ridiculously kind people around her as she looked down at the gift, taking off the wrapping paper.

The box underneath was not flimsy white cardboard like Marinette’s had been. No, this box was a dark navy and made of good, sturdy material. Juleka froze when she saw the gold logo embossed on the lid. She was almost afraid to open it in case it really was what she thought it was. She slowly opened the box and looked inside.

“No way,” Juleka murmured.

“What?” Marinette asked, leaning forward to look into the box. Nestled there in blue velvet were five sleek paintbrushes. Juleka took one out with gentle fingers, staring at it in disbelief. “Oh, paintbrushes. Why is that so crazy?”

“These are not just paintbrushes,” Juleka said, carefully settling the paintbrush back into the box. “These are some of the best brushes on the market, handcrafted. A set like this had to be over a hundred euros.” Marinette looked back down at the paintbrushes, her jaw dropping.

“Adrien got you a set of hundred euro paintbrushes for Christmas?” Mrs. Cheng asked, exchanging a startled glance with Mr. Dupain.

“He’s- well, his father is one of the most popular designers in the world right now. Maybe a hundred euros just isn’t that much to him?” Marinette asked.

“Maybe,” Juleka said with a shrug. She doubted that that was the case, but there wasn't much she could do about it now. She replaced the lid on the paintbrushes and set them to the side with her other gifts. She wasn’t sure if she was willing to accept something so expensive or not, but she’d worry about that- and the ridiculous boy that was Adrien Agreste- later.

There was one more gift waiting to be opened, a small square box covered in bright red paper and topped with a white bow.

“That one’s from Sabine and I,” Mr. Dupain said, his arm curled around Mrs. Cheng again. Juleka untied the bow, ripped off the wrapping paper, and opened the box.

It was an ornament.

A ceramic palette covered in splotches of paint hung from a dainty silver hook, gleaming a little in the brightly lit living room. Juleka looked up at the Dupain-Chengs, who were all watching her, waiting for her verdict. Waiting for _her_.

Juleka started crying.

She supposed it wasn’t really her fault that she dissolved into tears. A lot had happened to her over the last few days, a veritable emotional tsunami of highs and lows, so no one could blame Juleka for breaking down. She’d been staving off the damn tears all day, so it wasn’t really a surprise that this teeny, wonderful little gift sent her over the edge with all of its implications; the easy acceptance, the inclusion, the belonging.

“Oh, Jules,” Marinette said, scooting over to wrap an arm around Juleka’s shoulders, providing emotional support for the second time in two days. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Juleka burst out, exasperated and frustrated and just really, really happy. Mrs. Cheng left the sofa, gracefully kneeling down next to Juleka and placing a warm hand on her back. Juleka focused on the movement of that hand, up and down, up and down. They were all quiet for a moment, letting Juleka get her stupid emotions in line.

“Would you like to hang it on the tree?” Mrs. Cheng asked softly, smiling at Juleka. Juleka looked up at her with wide eyes. She nodded, standing up from the warm circle of Marinette’s and Mrs. Cheng’s arms and looking at the Christmas tree she’d helped to decorate. She spotted an open branch about halfway down and carefully hung her new ornament, then stepped back to admire the gently swinging addition. It looked beautiful hanging there, right next to the little red bicycle.

Juleka felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Mr. Dupain standing next to her, a warm smile on his face.

“Thank you,” Juleka said, beaming at first Mr. Dupain, then Mrs. Cheng, then Marinette for good measure.

“Of course, Juleka,” Mr. Dupain said, squeezing her shoulder. “Couldn’t let you go without your own ornament. You can take that with you when you go-”

“Or you could leave it with us for next year,” Mrs. Cheng finished with a shrug and a smile, as if she hadn’t said something huge. “It’s up to you.”

 _Next year_ , she’d said, as if it was a given that Juleka would be coming for Christmas again, as if Juleka belonged here, as if she was a token part of their holidays. Juleka didn’t know what to do with that, didn’t know how to deal with that, so she made the executive decision to freak out about it later. Otherwise she would certainly start crying again and she’d only just stopped and she didn’t want any more crying to happen for _at least_ a couple days. Instead she found a particular gift under the tree and carefully extracted it from under some other boxes. She turned to the Dupain-Chengs, holding the large package to her chest as if it could keep all of her emotions from spilling out.

“I don’t know how to say how much I appreciate you welcoming me and I don’t have much I can give you in return,” Juleka said slowly, her head ducked as her cheeks burned. Even without looking, she could still feel the objections rising in all three Dupain-Chengs and she held up one hand to stop them. “But I can give you this. I didn’t have time to do more, but I hope you like it.” Juleka held out the package, her bangs shielding her from their curious gazes.

Mr. Dupain took the gift from her, lowering himself to the ground so that they could all see the gift together. He carefully ripped off the wrapping paper, slowly revealing a large framed sketch. It wasn’t colored, because Juleka had run out of time to do so, but she liked how it had come out. The sketch was of the Dupain-Chengs, standing together and laughing at something, as they were wont to do, Marinette snuggled between her parents, her eyes screwed shut as she giggled. Juleka wasn’t sure she had quite captured the joy that frequently passed between the three of them, the mischievous gleam of their eyes, the obvious love and care that bounced from person to person effortlessly, ensnaring anyone lucky enough to be caught among them. However, the Dupain-Chengs were beaming at it like it was the best thing they’d ever seen, so it couldn’t have been all that bad.

Mrs. Cheng rose from the floor, tearing her eyes away from the sketch to smile fondly at Juleka.

“It’s wonderful, Juleka,” Mrs. Cheng said, reaching forward to pull Juleka into a hug. “Thank you so much.” Juleka felt more warm arms surround her as first Mr. Dupain, then Marinette joined the hug. It felt amazing to be enclosed in their arms. It felt like something only Rose had ever been able to give her before.

It felt like home.

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It had been a wonderful day. After presents, they’d settled down for a Christmas movie marathon and lots and lots of cookies, both of which were traditions that Juleka could wholeheartedly get behind. Juleka had been talked into staying for lunch and then for dinner, which she certainly didn’t mind. She had basked in the easy affection of the Dupain-Cheng house all day and Juleka felt like her batteries had been restored.

Now, she was wandering.

Well, not _wandering_ , per se; Juleka knew where she was going. She just didn’t think she’d find much there, so the destination wasn’t really the point of her walk.

No, the point was that Juleka had had a wonderful day and now she was putting off going home just a little bit longer, taking a moment to breathe in the uncomplicated air between happiness and reality. She played over the memories of the day in her head, cementing every detail of them in her brain for safe keeping. So it was safe to safe that Juleka was a little preoccupied as she walked.

And that was why Juleka didn’t notice that a light was on in the garden of La Tortue de Guérison until she was standing in front of the gate.

Normally, Master Fu didn’t come to the store on Christmas, so Juleka was surprised to see light glowing through the cracks in the fence, warm and inviting. She pushed open the gate tentatively, surprise raising her eyebrows when she saw Master Fu sitting at the little iron table with a little lantern, the usual teapot, and three cups.

“Master Fu?” Juleka asked, closing the gate behind her and taking the empty seat at the table.

“Hello, Juleka,” Master Fu said serenely. “I thought I’d be seeing you tonight.”

“I didn’t think I’d be seeing you,” Juleka said, tilting her head in question. Master Fu only smiled at her, setting down his teacup so that he could fill one for Juleka. It was then that she saw that the second teacup was already half full. “Is someone else visiting right now? I don’t want to intrude.”

“Nonsense, Juleka,” Master Fu said, setting the teapot down and waving a hand at Juleka. She picked up her cup, felt the warmth seep into her bones. “You’re not intruding. We’re here for you after all.”

“What?” Juleka asked, looking up from her cup to see Master Fu regarding her with a small smile. She felt a trickle of apprehension slide down her spine.

“I’ve known you for a while now, Juleka. I’ve seen you grow a lot,” Master Fu said, his voice solemn despite the smile on his face. “I believe that you’re ready.”

“Master Fu, what are you talking about?” Juleka asked, bewildered and confused and thoroughly unsure that she had the mental capacity to deal with whatever was coming.

“Juleka, there’s someone I’d like you to meet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I tried to capture a normal French Christmas in this chapter, but I left some traditions out on purpose to tailor it to the Dupain-Chengs, and I probably got some things wrong because I am in no way French, so take this depiction with a lump of salt.
> 
>  
> 
> Next: Juleka helps clarify a few things...


	23. Tell Me Something

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juleka asks a lot of questions.

Juleka paused for a moment and just breathed in the solitude.

There were no superheroes having crises. There were no secret relationships breathing down her neck. There were no questions demanding to be answered. There was also no Rose and that was a bit of a bummer, but her surprise dinner with her great aunt couldn’t be helped.

Right that second there was nothing but Juleka and her chalk and her wall and she took a moment to appreciate it in all its glory.

Don’t get her wrong, Juleka really loved having people to spend winter break with. It was something that she’d never had before, something she’d never imagined she’d have, what with Rose’s limited availability during the holidays. All the time she got to spend with Adrien and Marinette and the Dupain-Chengs and even Alya sometimes was fantastic. The last several weeks had been amazing.

But they had also been exhausting.

So exhausting.

Like Juleka wanted to sleep for about ten years and maybe _then_ consider talking to anyone that wasn't Rose ever again. That kind of exhausting.

Juleka sighed and went back to her chalking, placing the finishing touches on the little evil snowman she’d been drawing. She didn’t want to think about the emotional extremes she’d been through in the mere eight days since the break had started, from sadness to joy to confusion. Instead she focused on her doodles, from yet another rose unfurling over a handful of snowflakes to the little Christmas tree and presents.

Juleka finished the Frosty the Akuma drawing and moved on to another blank spot, touching her chalk to the wall without any agenda, just letting the lines resolve into an image as she did so often. It didn’t take her long to realize what she was drawing. She knew she shouldn’t draw it, but she needed to get it out of her head. Even if it was only temporary. Even if she erased it as soon as it was done.

So Juleka allowed the image to form, drew legs and arms and a head with big eyes and started on the curve of the-

A loud knock jerked Juleka out of the trance she always fell into when she was drawing. She looked around and tried not to feel guilty when her heart sank at the sight of Ladybug hanging outside of her window. For a brief, very brief, very contrary moment, Juleka considered ignoring her, texting her to come back another time. But once Juleka focused, she could see Ladybug’s wide eyes from across the room. She abandoned her drawing and crossed the room quickly, throwing open the window and stepping aside as Ladybug and a rush of cold air tumbled inside.

“Jules, I can’t. I can’t do this. I can’t,” Ladybug gasped before her feet even hit the floor, her chest heaving with ragged breaths as she hyperventilated. Any reluctance Juleka had still been feeling evaporated and she placed a hand on her back, quickly guiding her to sit on the couch. “I can’t, Juleka. I just, I-”

“Slow down. Take a breath,” Juleka said firmly, sitting down on the arm of the couch and rubbing her back slowly, up and down, up and down. She felt Ladybug take a deep breath.

“There was an akuma,” Ladybug burst out, her breathing still uneven, but a little slower. “And I was just talking to Chat and I- I want to tell him, Jules, so bad. I just- I don’t know-”

“Stop, okay? Just focus on breathing right now,” Juleka said, still rubbing Ladybug’s back up and down, up and down. She shivered along with Ladybug when another rush of cold air snaked past the window. “I’m going to go close the window, okay? Why don’t you de-transform while I-”

Juleka had just slipped off the couch, had only taken one step towards the window, fully prepared to close it, when Chat Noir slipped inside.

“Jules, I’m not sure how much longer I can do this,” Chat burst out, blowing past Juleka before she even had time to process his presence. Later, she’d probably be proud of herself for how quickly she managed to grasp the situation, but at the moment, she could only muster annoyance that she wasn’t even allowed to deal with one Super breakdown at a time.

“Chat, Ladybug is-”

“I _know_ she has the right to her privacy, but I just wish-” Chat abruptly cut off when he finally turned enough to see Ladybug frozen on Juleka’s couch, staring at him with the most heartbreakingly stricken expression Juleka had ever seen.

The silence that fell between them ticked on for what felt like forever.

Two superheroes accustomed to bringing down the biggest and the baddest were staring at each other in terror, held at the edge of something massive by the thinnest of wires.

Juleka could feel them.

The wires holding them all together, holding them up, holding them back from the cliff they were standing on, from the change coming at them like a freight train. Juleka could feel them straining, cutting into flesh, tearing them apart in an attempt to keep it all together. She could feel them giving. She could feel the tension waiting to snap at the first movement.

Juleka didn’t consider herself to be very brave, didn’t _want_ to be brave, but she didn’t see much of a choice.

So she moved.

“First of all, if you guys really expect people to not find out that I know you, you should really stop coming here in broad daylight,” Juleka said. Chat and Ladybug’s eyes snapped to her as if she’d shot off a gun rather than a sentence. They blinked at her, their eyes wide and shocked, trying to process the simple words. Juleka didn’t wait for anything to sink in (because it could have taken all day at this point) and moved on. “Second of all, I think it’s time that you guys talked to each other instead of to me.” This got more of a reaction out of the stunned superheroes and Chat and Ladybug both jumped as if electrocuted, looking at each other in a panic before looking back at Juleka.

“Jules, I-” Ladybug started.

“Jules, what-” Chat tried.

Juleka simply held up a hand. She was a little surprised when that actually managed to silence them, but she did her best to take it in stride. She moved over to the window and closed it, cutting off the flow of frigid air into the room, then moved to the door. She paused with her hand on the doorknob, looking back at her friends, who still stared at her in panicked silence.

“This is tearing you guys apart,” Juleka said softly. She waited for that to hit home, waited for Chat and Ladybug to look away from her and towards each other, then she turned the knob and left her room, closing the door firmly behind her.

 

Well.

 

That wasn’t how Juleka had been expecting this afternoon to go.

 

There was no guarantee that this would change anything. It wasn’t like Juleka had locked Chat and Ladybug in the room until they revealed their identities. Juleka couldn’t make them do anything and she wouldn’t even if she could. This was their decision. They could leave and continue to avoid this and they’d honestly be well within their rights.

But Juleka hoped they wouldn’t. She hoped that they’d _actually talk_ about this and come to the conclusion that keeping their identities secret wasn’t helping anyone, that it was actually hurting them. She hovered by the door for a moment, listening for any sign of movement. She wasn’t going to eavesdrop, but if they were going to just leave then there was no point in Juleka staying out of her room.

It took a long moment, but eventually she heard Ladybug’s hesitant voice. Juleka moved away from her door then, trusting in her friends to do what they needed to do.

This was when Juleka realized that she’d left all forms of entertainment in her room. She suppressed a groan, looking around the museum that was her living room with growing annoyance. No phone, no sketchpad, no books she actually wanted to read, nothing to keep her mind off of things she didn’t want to think about. Just a bunch of relics and a terracotta warrior to keep her company for however long Chat and Ladybug talked.

Juleka sighed and decided to spend some time in the kitchen. It was far enough away from her room, had something for Juleka to do, and depending on how long Chat and Ladybug were in there they might want some food when they got out. She could get started on dinner. It was a little early for that, but Juleka could probably find something to make that’d take a while. Or maybe she’d make a dessert of some sort. Rose had shown her a recipe for chocolate-camembert-orange truffles that both of the kwamis might enjoy. Though Juleka wasn’t sure if Tikki would like _truffles_. They weren’t actually _cookies_ …

Juleka eventually decided to do the lasagna she’d gotten ingredients for ages ago, but had never had the time or energy to make, as well as some cookies using the ingredients for the truffles. She’d just have to get more ingredients to make the truffles for Rose later. It was a great plan. It’d take a while and she’d have delicious food at the end of it that she could potentially use to calm down anxious teenagers. There was only one problem.

Lasagna took time, but it wasn’t particularly _difficult_. And the cookies were a little weird, but after initially being mixed, they didn’t require a lot of _thinking_.

Which meant that Juleka’s brain was more or less unoccupied and free to roam.

There were lots of things that Juleka could potentially think about in these quiet moments with nothing to distract her. Lots of gems that her thoughts inevitably strayed towards.

Like, for instance, how her parents had tried to whisk her off to China without her consent and then abandoned her. Again.

Or, for example, how the glorious memories she had of her Christmas with the Dupain-Chengs made her question the validity and affection of the other pseudo-parental figures in her life and whether she’d ever find a place where she actually belonged.

Or, for maximum effect, how the conversation she’d had with Master Fu less than a week earlier had changed everything and what she’d learned there and the dreams-

Juleka jumped when she heard a high-pitched squeal from inside her room.

She looked up from the pan of lasagna she’d been putting into the oven just in time to see Tikki and Plagg phase through her door. Juleka watched, lasagna forgotten in her hands and highly confused, as they zoomed around the room in opposite directions. They were moving faster than she’d ever seen them move, almost faster than she could track. She didn’t know what they were doing, racing around her living room, but she certainly didn’t expect them to smash into one another in the middle. She almost dropped the lasagna, lurching forward instinctively, as if she could protect them.

Juleka needn’t have worried. Tikki and Plagg only continued to spin together, too small and too fast to tell where one began and the other ended. Juleka watched them spin for a second, then turned and finished putting the lasagna in the oven, setting a new timer. Then she turned back to the kwamis, who seemed to be slowing. Eventually they stopped spinning and eventually the pair separated, still close together and still smiling at one another but no longer hugging.

“Plagg,” Tikki said, her voice suffused with happiness. Juleka could see the huge smile on her face.

“Hey, Spots,” Plagg said, his voice for once free of the hard edge he always carried. “Long time no see.” Juleka was surprised to see a small smile on his face as well. Juleka didn’t think she’d ever seen Plagg smile before. At least not over something other than camembert.

“Good to see you too,” Tikki replied with the same kind of long-suffering fondness that Juleka had heard Ladybug use on Chat.

Juleka felt like she was impeding on something incredibly personal, watching something that wasn’t for her. From what she could piece together, the Miraculous got used very infrequently and even when they did get used, identity issues must keep the kwamis apart for ages. Juleka was watching their first meeting in months at the very least, but more likely years. This was their triumphant reunion; those soft expressions were their sheer joy at getting to be together again. It definitely wasn’t a moment meant to be shared with Juleka of all people.

So, of course, that was the moment the timer on the cookies went off.

“I’m so sorry,” Juleka said, hastily shutting off the timer and taking the cookies out of the oven, extremely aware of two pairs of eyes on her. “Now that these are out, I’ll get out of your hair, you guys just go back to what you were doing. I’m really sorry-”

“Juleka,” Tikki interrupted, giggling as she swooped over to hover in front of her. “There’s no need to apologize. And there’s no need to leave.”

“Yeah, our holders are already using your bedroom,” Plagg added, lazily floating over and draping himself over Tikki. Tikki rolled her eyes, but her expression stayed bright.

“I don’t want to intrude,” Juleka said hesitantly, though she was more than happy to watch the kwamis’ casual affection.

“You’re not intruding on anything,” Tikki said. Both she and Juleka ignored Plagg’s snort. Juleka nodded and leaned back against the counter. Plagg was right, it wasn’t like she had anywhere to go.

“So, they’ve finally revealed themselves, huh?” Juleka asked, glancing over her shoulder at her bedroom door as if it’d give her a play-by-play of the conversation currently going down.

“Took them long enough,” Plagg said, returning briefly to the sarcastic creature Juleka knew, though he was still hanging on Tikki.

“Plagg,” Tikki said reprovingly, twisting to try and frown at him. “You know it isn’t easy to take this step.”

“Come on, even Juleka could see that it needed to happen,” Plagg said, gesturing to Juleka with one lazy arm. Juleka exchanged an exasperated glance with Tikki instead of glaring at Plagg like she wanted to.

“It’s always easier for third parties to see that. That’s why we have the Guardian to-” Tikki abruptly cut off as Plagg hissed. She looked up at Juleka with wide eyes, obviously panicking. “Um-”

“Don’t worry. I already know,” Juleka said, waving her hand. Tikki only continued staring. Plagg sat up at last, surprise flashing across his face as he too looked at Juleka.

“You know?” Tikki asked.

“Yeah,” Juleka said.

“About the Guardian,” Plagg said, his eyes narrowed.

“Uh-huh,” Juleka said. Plagg and Tikki continued to stare at her until she sighed. She didn’t want to think about this, but she couldn’t really avoid this conversation with them. “Master Fu told me a couple days ago.”

“Really?” Tikki gasped, zipping in an excited circle that sent Plagg flying. She darted up to Juleka, her hands clapped together under her chin. “I _knew_ you were going to get offered the Guardianship, I _knew_ it. This is great!”

“That’s not what she said, Spots,” Plagg grumbled, floating up to plop himself back on Tikki’s head. They both looked up at Juleka with curiosity. “Did he offer it?” Plagg asked, not quite succeeding in appearing nonchalant. Juleka looked down, allowing her bangs to slide in front of her face.

“Juleka?” Tikki asked quietly. Juleka glanced up at them through her bangs, saw concern dawning on Tikki’s face. She had to tell them. She had to. Juleka took a deep breath and told them what had happened three days earlier in Master Fu’s garden.

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Juleka didn’t want to believe it. She wanted to close her eyes and pretend this wasn’t happening, pretend that this wasn’t what her life had become. Everything in her told her that she needed to run. That this wasn’t right, that it wasn’t real, that it couldn’t be possible.

But there it was, floating and small and green and entirely too possible.

Adrien and Marinette had been different. Juleka had put those pictures together piece by piece, sewing together the truth slowly, until everything came together and she wasn’t _surprised_. No, she was standing in the shadows, always watching, always laughing, always knowing, never surprised, but _this_ …

This was the one thing Juleka had trusted to never change and here it was.

Changing.

Forever.

“Hello, Juleka,” Wayzz said, his voice lower than Tikki and Plagg’s but still high. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

He only had one antenna and he had a shell on his back and he had a tail between his legs, but Juleka knew what a kwami looked like.

Juleka looked from Wayzz to Master Fu.

And back to Wayzz.

And back to Master Fu.

Then she carefully set her teacup on the table and let her head thunk down onto the cold metal, focusing on the way it bit into the skin of her forehead rather than this.

Juleka thought she heard Master Fu chuckle, but she ignored it, thinking about _cold, cold, cold_ instead of _oh my god, oh my god, oh my god_. After that chuckle, Master Fu and Wayzz stayed quiet for a long moment and Juleka was grateful because she couldn’t- she just-

If Wayzz was with Master Fu, then that meant- that meant-

“Why?” Juleka asked at last, her voice echoing oddly against the table.

“That was many questions,” Master Fu said. Juleka lifted her head, but wasn’t happy to see that she was right about the amusement she’d heard in his voice.

“Yeah,” Juleka said, glancing between Master Fu and Wayzz once again. They might have been completely different species, but the expressions on their faces were remarkably similar. Wise and patient and compassionate. But Wayzz seemed less amused by Juleka’s world turning upside down so he was currently her favorite.

“Which one would you like answered first?” Master Fu asked patiently, nudging Juleka’s neglected teacup closer to her. Juleka eyed the tea, then eyed her friend. Then she sighed and sat up.

“Why is everyone in my life secretly a superhero?” Juleka grumbled, taking the teacup and cradling it in her hands, letting the familiar warmth ground her. The ground always seemed so far away those days.

“Not _everyone_ ,” Master Fu chuckled. Wayzz shook his head at Master Fu and floated forward, settling on the rim of the third teacup and drinking from it delicately.

Juleka suddenly thought of all the times she’d had tea with Master Fu. All the times they’d poured a third cup that never seemed to be drunk. All the times she’d placed it inside without questioning who it was for.

Wayzz had always been there. And Juleka had never seen.

“Don’t worry, Juleka. It’s only partially your fault,” Wayzz said, balancing lightly on the edge of his teacup.

“I hadn’t thought it was any part my fault,” Juleka said, staring at Wayzz as his compassionate gaze turned sheepish. “How is it my fault that I’m surrounded by superheroes?”

“Perhaps it would help if we started at the beginning,” Master Fu said, shooting a reproving glance at Wayzz who only shrugged helplessly.

“Perhaps,” Juleka said, waving her cup of tea at him.

“First, I am not a superhero,” Master Fu said firmly, leaning forward in his seat to rest his elbows on the table. Juleka raised an eyebrow at him, flicking her eyes to the magical fairy companion resting on his teacup and back to Master Fu.

“You’re not?” Juleka asked skeptically.

“No,” Master Fu said, a smile growing on his face. “Adrien and Marinette are superheroes. I have a different role.” Juleka froze with her teacup halfway to her lips.

“You know about Adrien and Marinette?” Juleka asked. Master Fu’s smile widened and he exchanged a glance with Wayzz.

“Who do you think gave them their Miraculous?” Master Fu asked, his eyes glinting with his amusement.

Meanwhile, Juleka’s brain was melting.

This answered so many more questions than Juleka had asked and it created so many more. It was _Master Fu_ who had left those boxes for Adrien and Marinette. It was _Master Fu_ who decided that two teenagers were fit to protect all of Paris. It was _Master Fu_ who had been lurking in deeper shadows than Juleka could have imagined this entire time. But how? But _why_? But-

Juleka sighed, clutching her teacup close to her chest, focusing on the warmth of the tea against the chill of the night air. She grounded herself again and returned her focus to Master Fu and Wayzz, waiting for her patiently.

“Why them?” Juleka asked.

“Choosing holders is part of my role,” Master Fu said. He sighed then, his smile fading, his amusement blinking out for perhaps the first time since Juleka had entered the garden. “They are young, I know. I wish that they weren’t sometimes. But this is the way it has to be.” Juleka watched him for a long moment, questions darting through her mind like lightning, one after another after another after another after-

Warm tea. Cold air. Ground. Focus.

“What is your role then?” Juleka asked slowly, her fingertips sliding across smooth porcelain.

“I am the Guardian,” Master Fu said, his smile reappearing. “I watch over the Miraculous and guide the Miraculous holders.”

“So, you don’t fight,” Juleka stated. That certainly answered why Ladybug and Chat Noir were the only heroes Paris knew of.

“The Guardian _can_ fight if the need arises,” Master Fu said, a note of annoyance creeping into his tone as he shot a look at Wayzz.

“But the Guardian should be a last case scenario,” Wayzz said pointedly, glaring right back at Master Fu, his arms folded over his chest as he zoomed up to hover next to Master Fu’s face. “Guardians hold a lot of important knowledge and should be wise enough to know when they shouldn’t risk themselves by foolishly rushing into a fight.”

“That doesn’t mean I have to like it,” Master Fu sighed, his eyes falling away from Wayzz. Wayzz floated closer to Master Fu’s face, gently touching his cheek.

“Of course not, Master,” Wayzz said. “But it is the way things are.”

Juleka watched them, heard the care interwoven amongst their old arguments, saw the deep understanding they had with one another. It settled something in her, grounded her in a way the tea and the cold did not. Yes, this was a big, huge, monumental change. But it was still Master Fu.

“Why are you telling me all of this?” Juleka asked quietly. Master Fu and Wayzz looked up at her, and their somber expressions blossomed into smiles once more.

“The Turtle Miraculous is not like the others,” Wayzz said leaving Master Fu to resume his spot on his teacup. “The others, their holders must learn on the go. They must be forged in fire like tempered steel.”

“But the holders of the turtle, Guardian training aside, must learn at the turtle's pace,” Master Fu said. “On the go, forged in flames, does not work for the turtle. They must go slow, go careful. And so they are chosen and trained slowly and carefully.”

Juleka felt herself freeze. She felt her muscles tense like she was getting ready to run, felt her heart take off without her.

She felt something click inside her that she hadn’t known was out of place.

She felt something inside her telling her to run.

“Juleka,” Master Fu said slowly, his smile as calm as ever, his voice as level as always.

 _Run_ , her instincts whispered. _Run._

“Wayzz and I would like you to be the next Guardian.”

 

Warm tea, cold air, warm tea, cold air, warm tea, cold air, warm-

 

Her tea wasn’t warm anymore, heat stolen away by the cold winter’s night.

 

 _Run_ , her instincts screamed. _Run._

 

“I-” Juleka tried. Her throat was closed and nothing could come out and she was trying not to bolt like everything was telling her to.

Master Fu and Wayzz were watching her. Master Fu, her oldest friend, her confidant. He was trying to offer her something precious; his smile expected her to be pleased. She could only watch, her muscles locked, her mind panicking, as realization dawned on Master Fu’s face.

“Juleka?” Master Fu asked softly. Juleka stared at him, her eyes wide, her breath coming too quickly, too quickly.

_The error of that decision._

Cold tea, cold air, cold tea, cold air-

“You don’t have to say yes, Juleka,” Wayzz said, slowly floating closer to Juleka, watching her reaction to make sure it was okay. He laid a gentle hand on her cheek same as he had done to Master Fu, his skin surprisingly warm, but smooth like Tikki’s, like Plagg’s, like what she’d come to know. She felt Wayzz take a deep breath and she tried to do the same, watching Master Fu’s concerned expression, willing it to soften into a smile again.

“We know this is a huge responsibility,” Master Fu said solemnly, reaching out to lay a hand on Juleka’s arm. “We would never ask you to say yes if it wasn’t something you were sure you wanted. Never. You can say no and nothing will change. I will still be here and I will still be your friend.”

Juleka felt the moment she decided to believe him in the loosening of her muscles, in the breath she finally managed to take, in the fading of the flight instinct.

Warm hands. Cold air. Ground. Focus.

“Are you okay?” Wayzz asked. His voice was quiet, but Juleka could hear him so close to her ear. She nodded slightly, felt Wayzz retreat until she could look him in the eye again.

“What do you say, Juleka?” Master Fu asked, regarding Juleka carefully. He was solemn and serious, more so than she had ever seen him. But his face was still open and kind. But he was still Master Fu. “Will you accept the Turtle Miraculous?”

Juleka considered them for a long moment, turning the question over and over in her mind. She lifted the teacup to her lips and realized when cold liquid hit her tongue that this was the first sip she’d taken of her tea. She knew what answer she had to give.

“No,” Juleka whispered, the taste of Oolong still strong on her tongue.

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“You turned down the Guardianship?” Tikki asked incredulously. Juleka sighed, turning away from the shocked expressions of the kwamis in favor of taking the cookies off of the cookie sheet.

“Yeah,” Juleka said. She could practically feel the kwamis exchange a glance behind her back. She heard a quick whispered exchange which she figured was probably Tikki trying to get Plagg to stay quiet.

“May I ask why?” Tikki asked carefully after a moment. Juleka mentally congratulated her on her success. And then she sighed again for good measure.

“Did you feel Adrien and Marinette earlier?” Juleka asked, focusing on safely transferring the cookies from pan to plate.

"Yes," Tikki said slowly.

“They were breaking down under the stress of this," Juleka said, months of frightened conversations flitting through her mind as she tried to focus on the cookies. "The lying was tearing them apart.”

“It isn’t always like that,” Tikki said sadly.

“Maybe not,” Juleka said, placing the last cookie on the plate. She took the pan over to the sink and turned on the hot water, not waiting for it to heat up before she began scrubbing. “But there are a hundred other things weighing down on them. A hundred other things trying to break them. A hundred reasons to say no. Master Fu will find someone else.”

“But he already found _you_ ,” Plagg said. Juleka heard Tikki shush him, heard another whispered argument and then Plagg was suddenly in front of Juleka’s face, his arms crossed over his chest and his face fierce. “Look, kid. We know better than anyone the risks of being a hero, okay? We’ve seen all the terrible things that can befall our holders. We get it. It sucks. And we’re not going to try to force you to do something you don’t want to do, because that would suck even worse and also be way too much work. But if you’re saying no because you think that Master Fu can just waltz off and find another holder for the Turtle Miraculous, you’re wrong. The fact is that you were chosen for a reason, because you fit in a way no one else can. And honestly, you’re sort of already doing the job.”

Plagg finished his speech and he plopped down on the dish towel next to the sink, going back to looking grumpy and bored as he nestled into it. Juleka removed her hands from the scalding water as she glanced over at Tikki, who looked just as surprised as Juleka felt. Juleka turned off the faucet, finally turning to face the kwamis again.

“What do you mean I’m already doing the job?” Juleka asked, looking between Plagg and Tikki.

“Well, you’re doing a lot of things that the Guardian does for holders,” Tikki said. “You give Adrien and Marinette advice and you encourage them. You help them stay safe.”

“Typical boring Guardian stuff,” Plagg added from the counter. Tikki rolled her eyes, but nodded, continuing to watch Juleka earnestly.

“Maybe that’s true, but that’s not a good enough reason to accept the Miraculous,” Juleka said, removing the pan from the scalding water filling the sink, taking care not to drip any on Plagg as she transferred it to the drying rack.

“If that’s what you believe, we won’t pressure you,” Tikki sighed. “Just…please think about it some more?” Juleka didn’t bother telling Tikki that she was going to be thinking about this whether she wanted to or not. Instead, she nodded and held up the plate of cookies.

“These should be cool enough to eat now. Help yourselves,” Juleka said, placing the plate on the counter next to Plagg’s towel-turned-bed.

“Thank you,” Tikki said, reluctant to let the subject drop, but willing to be distracted by the cookies. She selected one and eyed it curiously before taking a bite. Juleka watched her eyes widen. “These are wonderful, Juleka! Plagg, try one.”

“No cheese, no thanks,” Plagg said, deliberately rolling over and snuggling into the towel.

“But it tastes like they _do_ have cheese in them,” Tikki said, taking another bite and deliberating.

“Camembert,” Juleka confirmed. Plagg sat up nose first, narrowing his eyes at the plate of cookies.

“They’re reeeeally good,” Tikki sang, breaking off a chunk of her cookie and waving it teasingly at Plagg. Plagg’s eyes darted from the cookie to Tikki’s face and back. Then he zipped forward, snatching the piece out of Tikki’s hand and stuffing it in his mouth. Plagg’s eyes widened just as Tikki’s had. They immediately returned to normal, but the damage had been done. Juleka _knew_ he liked them.

“These aren’t bad,” Plagg said, the picture of nonchalance and disinterest, meandering over to the plate of cookies where he grudgingly took one for himself. “I guess if you have to eat cookies, Spots, proper cheese ones are okay.”

“If you have to eat smelly mold, Kitten, I suppose it’s alright when in a delectable cookie,” Tikki responded, grinning over the edge of her treat. Plagg glared at her, but still settled close to her on the counter as he grumpily munched on his cookie.

Juleka took a cookie for herself, but didn’t take a bite, focusing instead on the thoughts still flashing through her head. She still didn’t really want to think about it, but their conversation had kicked up a lot of things in her mind. When Juleka had finally left Master Fu’s that night, she’d left with way more questions than answers. Some she could guess at and others she could let lie, but there was one…

“What did Wayzz mean when he said it was partially my fault?” Juleka asked, addressing the question Wayzz and Master Fu had never gotten around to answering. Plagg didn’t bother to look up, probably assuming that Tikki would do exactly what she did: put aside her cookie to consider Juleka with a thoughtful expression.

“I’m not entirely sure, but I can guess,” Tikki said slowly. When Juleka nodded, Tikki continued. “You know what Plagg said earlier? About you fitting the Turtle Miraculous in a way no one else can? Well, fitting a Miraculous is about more than just a skill set or a personality. Some people have a certain…” Tikki trailed off, searching for the right word.

“Aura,” Plagg supplied, finally pausing his steady munching.

“It’s more active than an aura,” Tikki said, shaking her head.

“Powers,” Plagg said.

“It’s not _that_ active,” Tikki said, frowning in thought.

“Sense,” Plagg said.

“Oo, that’s good,” Tikki said, holding up one arm to receive a tap from him. Plagg looked pleased with himself as he went back to his cookie. “It’s kind of like a sense. Like your sense of touch or your sense of balance. Those senses can be active forces, but most of the time they work subconsciously and they’re different for everybody. Not everybody has the right senses to hold Miraculous. The ones the Turtle needs are particularly rare. They have more to do with people, among other things. Reading people, reading their potential…”

Juleka felt it again. The same feeling she’d felt that night in Master Fu’s garden, like something clicking into place. With it came a glimmer of understanding.

“Are you trying to tell me that my Turtle senses start tingling when potential Miraculous holders are near?” Juleka asked. Tikki and Plagg both stared at her for a moment, their faces blank. Then Plagg started cackling and Tikki cracked a smile.

“It’s not really _tingling_ ,” Tikki protested weakly, giggles bubbling up against her will. Plagg just kept cackling, collapsing against Tikki as he laughed. “You just kind of _feel_ it. Subconsciously. You probably never even noticed it.”

“Wait, so I really do have some sort of Miraculous radar?” Juleka asked. Tikki nodded, swatting half-heartedly at Plagg to get him to stop laughing. Something new flashed through Juleka’s mind. “Is that how I noticed Adrien and Marinette when no one else did?”

“Definitely,” Tikki said. “I knew you had Turtle potential as soon as you told Marinette that you already knew she was Ladybug. Very few people, even amongst potential holders, can see through the glamour.”

“Glamour?” Juleka asked.

“A glamour is, uh…” Tikki trailed off again, looking to Plagg for help. He ignored it, busy trying to pick out another cookie.

“It’s an illusion obscuring the true appearance of something,” Juleka said. Plagg stopped picking over the cookies to join Tikki in staring at her again. Juleka shifted uncomfortably under their gaze. “Right?”

“I thought you said no to the Guardian training,” Tikki said, looking thoroughly confused.

“Yeah, I just read a lot of fantasy novels,” Juleka said, shrugging. Tikki and Plagg exchanged a glance and then looked back at Juleka.

“Adrien’s right, you _do_ know everything,” Plagg said, finally looking away from Juleka and returning to his cookie. “It’s weird.”

“Hey, I really like Juleka,” Tikki protested. She reached out and deftly broke Plagg’s cookie in two, steadfastly ignoring his objections as she stole the bigger half in retribution.

“Yeah, yeah, I like her too,” Plagg huffed, bitterly eyeing his half of the cookie. “Just saying, the knowing everything bit that Guardians do always weirds me out.”

“She’s not a Guardian, Plagg,” Tikki said quietly, her eyes trained on her half of the cookie. Silence fell between them, thick and sad and awkward.

“So, I was right about the glamour?” Juleka asked after a long moment. Tikki looked back up at her with a small smile.

“Yup,” Tikki said, almost brightly enough to banish the mood that had crept in. “If Adrien or Marinette do something _really_ obvious, it won’t hold, but for the most part, normal people won’t catch the little inconsistencies that don’t add up. They’ll notice that they disappear a lot, but they won’t think beyond that. They’ll see them walk out of a place they never walked into, but it won’t occur to them.”

“It even works on holders?” Juleka asked. Tikki nodded, her smile widening.

“Did you think Adrien and Marinette were just really oblivious?” Tikki asked. Juleka nodded, since she had thought that exact thing many times. Tikki giggled, ignoring Plagg’s grumbles in favor of grinning up at Juleka. “Honestly, they are a little oblivious. The glamour is a lot weaker on holders than on normal people. But except for in really rare cases, only people with Turtle potential are immune.”

That answered so many questions that Juleka had had over the last several months. She was a little relieved to know that Paris’s protectors weren’t actually so blind.

“So, I have a super Miraculous radar…how does that make it my fault that my friends are superheroes?” Juleka asked, returning to her original question.

“Moth,” Plagg said, speaking around a mouthful of cookie.

“What?” Juleka asked, looking to Tikki for explanation.

“What?” Tikki asked, turning to Plagg in utter bafflement. “What does Nooroo have to do with this?”

“No, not-” Plagg sighed in long-suffering exasperation for the obtuseness of his audience. “An _actual_ moth, not the Moth Miraculous. Like a moth to a flame.” Juleka looked at Tikki, hoping that Plagg’s explanation had cleared things up for her. But Tikki was still frowning at Plagg.

“A moth to a flame…oh, you mean that Juleka is acting like a moth drawn to a flame since she subconsciously notices a strong holder and is drawn to them, inadvertently surrounding herself with superheroes because of this moth-to-flame effect?” Tikki asked.

“Yeah,” Plagg said, nodding his approval of Tikki’s translation.

“Oh,” Juleka said, trying to digest that loaded information.

But, of course, that was the moment the door to her room opened and Marinette and Adrien came out.

They looked fine. Juleka wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting them to look like, perhaps battle scarred and war torn. But they only looked slightly dazed. Adrien was grinning like he was never going to stop and Marinette was gazing up at him like she couldn’t quite believe he was real.

“What smells so good?” Adrien asked cheerfully, practically bouncing as he walked over to the kitchen. Marinette followed behind him, a smile tugging at her lips as she watched.

“You’re either smelling the lasagna or the cookies,” Juleka said, waving a hand at the plate of cookies next to Tikki and Plagg. Marinette continued to watch Adrien as unobtrusively as possible (completely obtrusively), but Adrien followed Juleka’s gesture and his eyes widened when they fell on the kwamis.

“You must be Tikki,” Adrien said, beaming down at her. Tikki left the counter, ignoring Plagg’s protests and zipping up to hover in front of Adrien.

“It’s nice to _finally_ meet you, Adrien,” Tikki said, grinning just a little too widely to be innocent. Marinette finally tore her eyes away from Adrien to shoot a panicked look at her kwami.

“The honor is all mine,” Adrien said, sweeping a grand bow. Tikki giggled at him, winking at Marinette while Adrien was down.

“He’s certainly of one of yours, Plagg,” Tikki said, turning to grin at him.

“Oh, you’re Plagg,” Marinette gasped, stepping forward suddenly and bending down to look at Plagg.

“Yup, that’s me. Embodiment of destruction, nice to meet ya,” Plagg said, his chest puffing up under Marinette’s gaze. Marinette giggled at him, turning to raise an eyebrow at Tikki before returning her attention to Plagg.

“Tikki says you’re not very polite,” Marinette said, giggling again when Plagg started puffing up in indignation rather than pride.

“She’s got a point,” Adrien said. Plagg glared at him, crossing his arms over his chest. “What? Are you going to deny it?” Plagg just continued to glare, uncrossing his arms to pick up Tikki’s abandoned cookie half and take a vicious bite.

“What kind of cookies are those?” Adrien asked, stepping up next to Marinette to peer down at the plate of cookies. Marinette returned to staring at him, a blush splashing across her cheeks.

“Chocolate-camembert-orange,” Juleka replied, finally taking a bite out of the cookie she’d been holding for well over half an hour. It was a strange taste, sweet and sour all at once, but delicious just as the kwamis had reported.

“Camembert?” Adrien asked, his nose scrunching up. He turned to Plagg with an eyebrow raised. “How’d you talk her into putting camembert into cookies?”

“I’m innocent,” Plagg said firmly, looking very offended. “She made camembert cookies all on her own and the world is a better place for it.”

“You’re not exactly an objective critic, Plagg,” Adrien said, eyeing the cookies skeptically. Marinette, on the other hand, took a cookie without hesitation, breaking off a piece and popping into her mouth while Adrien watched in horror. Marinette chewed slowly as the rest watched, waiting for her verdict. Her eyes widened and she nodded approvingly at the cookie in her hand.

“As the daughter of a baker, I give these cookies a ten out of ten,” Marinette announced. She looked over at Adrien, her mouth opened to say something. Juleka saw her hesitate, words stalling on her lips. Then she saw her face set in determination. “That objective enough for you?” Marinette asked, her inner Ladybug making an appearance. Adrien looked up from the cookies in surprise, his gaze drawing a blush from Marinette. Then he grinned, pure delight radiating from his face.

“Of course, my Lady,” Adrien said, winking at Marinette before turning and taking a cookie from the plate, completely unaware that he’d just murdered her. The poor girl looked over at Juleka with dazed eyes, her face flushed bright red.

Juleka offered a sympathetic glance, but the oven timer went off before she could come to her aid. She took the completed lasagna out of the oven, bringing a wave of scent along with it that made her mouth water.

“That is _definitely_ what I was smelling,” Adrien said. Juleka looked up to find him standing next to her, gazing down at the fresh lasagna the way Marinette looked at _him_.

“You can stay for dinner if you want,” Juleka said, smiling with amusement when Adrien looked at her like she’d given him the world.

“Really?” Adrien asked.

“Yeah,” Juleka said with a shrug. She turned to Marinette, who was watching the exchange with an odd look on her face. “You too.”

“Thanks, Jules,” Marinette said, shaking out of her daze to smile at Juleka. “I haven’t had Italian in ages. Let me call my parents and let ‘em know.” Marinette moved away as she pulled out her phone. Juleka turned back to the kitchen, intending to scrounge up some sides to accompany the lasagna, but was distracted when she found Adrien looking after Marinette, a complex mess of emotions on his face.

“You okay?” Juleka asked quietly, blocking out the quiet murmur of Marinette talking into her phone in the living room. Adrien looked over at Juleka in surprise.

“I’m great,” Adrien said, his surprise softening to a warm smile as he looked back over at Marinette. “It’s a little strange and I need to get used to it, but…I’m really glad it’s her.” Juleka looked over at the kwamis, who were both watching the exchange, and shared a secret, smug smile with them.

As long as the idiots kept talking to one another, they’d be just fine. Just as Juleka had always known they would be.

“Don’t you also need to call home?” Juleka asked. Adrien shook his head, dragging his eyes away from Marinette.

“I was supposed to be at Nino’s all day today and when I had to leave for the akuma I told him I’d been called home,” Adrien said with a smug grin. “My bases are covered.”

“Congratulations,” Juleka said drily, turning away to rummage through her pantry for something to accompany the lasagna.

“All in a day’s work for a superhero,” Adrien said, leaning against the counter and grinning at Juleka.

“What’s all in a day’s work?” Marinette asked, returning from the living room. “Maman says hi by the way.” She glanced at Adrien, yet another blush rising in her cheeks. “To both of you.”

“Me too?” Adrien asked in surprise. Marinette merely nodded, her face turning even redder. Juleka exchanged an amused glance with Tikki.

“What’s in a day’s work, oh mighty superhero?” Marinette said, clearing her throat and making a valiant attempt at her normal flippant tone.

“Covering my bases. Slipping away without a trace,” Adrien said, shrugging casually. He grinned at Marinette, waggling his eyebrows. “You might not have heard, but I’m very claw-ver.” Juleka groaned at that, but Marinette smiled fondly.

“I don’t know, kitty,” Marinette said, her smile growing. “I’m pretty sure what I heard was claw-ful, not clever.” Adrien feigned offence, dramatically gasping and pressing a hand to his chest, but he couldn’t stifle his delighted smile.

“Oh my god, _this_ is how you deal with him,” Juleka grumbled, turning away from her friends to go back to looking for food. “You’re just as bad.”

“Aw, you love us, Jules,” Adrien said, his laughter evident in his voice.

“Yeah, yeah,” Juleka said, rolling her eyes even though none of them could see. “So, Nino’s back from Italy?” Juleka asked as she dumped her ingredients on the counter.

“Nino?” Marinette asked, looking between Juleka and Adrien for some explanation for the non-sequitur.

“I was hanging out with him today before the akuma attack,” Adrien explained, poking at one of the cookies suspiciously. “He’s only back for a little while. They’ll go to Morocco for the rest of the break.” Juleka started slicing the bread, wondering if Nino was with Alya now, taking advantage of this time he’d planned to spend with Adrien to spend with his secret girlfriend instead.

“Nino is probably with Alya now,” Marinette said. Juleka looked up in confusion to see Marinette and Adrien exchanging a smug look. Marinette looked over at Juleka as if to include her in the look, then looked surprised when she saw that Juleka was confused. Then she turned sheepish. “Oops. I forgot that you didn’t know. I kind of assume that you know everything these days.”

“I do that too,” Adrien said, grinning at Marinette before turning back to Juleka.

“What exactly do I not know?” Juleka asked carefully, making sure that they were actually talking about what she thought they were talking about.

“We probably shouldn’t tell you this,” Marinette hesitated, looking at Adrien doubtfully.

“You tell her everything else,” Tikki piped up helpfully. Marinette looked down at her in surprise, then shrugged. It was true after all.

“Okay,” Marinette said, her face setting into her Ladybug determination mode. It shifted to a grin almost immediately. “Nino and Alya are secretly dating.”

“And they think we don’t know about it,” Adrien added. Adrien and Marinette exchanged a look, shaking their heads fondly at the foolishness of their friends. Juleka looked from one ridiculous superhero to the other. And then she chuckled.

“Yeah, I knew that already,” Juleka said. Adrien and Marinette stopped their superior chuckles to stare at Juleka.

“You already knew?” Marinette asked incredulously. “But-”

“See?” Adrien burst out, throwing his hands up. “She knows everything!” Juleka thought she heard Plagg mutter something about Guardians, but she ignored it.

“I don’t know everything,” Juleka said. Three pairs of eyes looked at her skeptically. Tikki just smiled like this whole thing amused her greatly. “Seriously, it’s not like Nino and Alya were particularly subtle. Not if you guys could figure it out.”

“What do you mean?” Adrien asked, pouting at Juleka. Marinette looked similarly affronted.

“Do you want me to give you a rundown of all of the times you two were the most oblivious messes on the planet?” Juleka asked, raising an eyebrow at them as she started slathering butter over the bread.

“We’re not _that_ oblivious,” Marinette protested, exchanging an uncomfortable look with Adrien. Juleka kept her eyebrow raised, sharing her own look with Plagg and Tikki. She set down the butter and started counting on her fingers.

“I’ve caught both of you transforming seven times and you only noticed half of them. During the Horrificator attack, you guys spent hours working together as civilians and never noticed. After you learned that you went to the same school, you both freaked out about it to me at the same time and in the same place, both actively searching for someone else that was freaking out and completely missing each other. My date with Rose-”

“Okay, we get it,” Adrien interrupted, holding up his hands in surrender. “You’re right. We were blind. We had a whole conversation about this in your room.” Marinette nodded, looking just as embarrassed as Adrien.

“Alright, I’ll leave you alone,” Juleka chuckled, returning to the bread and adding the garlic and some cheese.

“It must have been hard juggling both of us,” Marinette said after a moment. Juleka looked up to see both of them regarding her thoughtfully. She shrugged, finishing the garlic bread and putting it into the oven before she answered.

“It wasn’t that bad,” Juleka said, thinking back on the ridiculous moments she’d experienced trying to be friends with both Adrien and Marinette. It had been frustrating at times, sure. But it had also been hilarious and interesting and even a lot of fun sometimes. “You guys are ridiculous, but I could handle it okay.”

“Thank you, Jules,” Marinette said, her tone conveying many things in those simple words.

“What she said,” Adrien said, grinning at Juleka. Juleka smiled back at them.

Later, Juleka would have to properly check in with her friends. She’d probably have some long talks with them about what all of this meant and how things would change and they’d probably freak out a little bit.

Later, Juleka would probably do a bit of freaking out herself when the conversations she’d had with Master Fu and the kwamis finally caught up to her and she couldn’t avoid thinking about it anymore.

Later, things would change even more and Juleka would have to deal with that.

But right now, Juleka paused for a moment and just breathed in the friendship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow look at that, a chapter update in under a month, what a concept... Mmm. I'm not sure I really like how this came out, but now that I've written it, it won't come out any other way. So take it. Take it awaaaay.
> 
> Also! Feel free to blame IronRaven for the chocolate-camembert-orange truffle idea. Thanks for the inspiration.
> 
>  
> 
> Next: someone's in need of some intervention...


	24. Playing the Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juleka spends some time worrying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning: homophobia. See end notes for more details (spoilers).

Juleka wasn’t quite sure where she was. That in itself wasn’t much of a problem. She’d spent too much of her time wandering the streets of Paris to panic just from being unfamiliar with her surroundings. This was just another street. One of those that couldn’t seem to decide if it was meant for houses or small businesses, so that the curb was a mix of mailboxes and advertisements. Juleka had seen a thousand streets just like it and if she wandered long enough, she’d surely find one she knew.

But something was wrong.

Juleka couldn’t tell _what_ was wrong and it was driving her insane. It was a perfectly normal day, slightly overcast so that everything was a little grayer than usual, but _safe_ ; it was a perfectly normal street, not a threat in sight, not a car out of place. And yet _something_ was crawling up her spine to murmur alarms in her ear. Something had her hairs on end and her eyes darting around for any sign of danger, anything at all. But she didn’t find anything.

Until she found Rose.

Juleka wasn’t sure how she had missed her in her half-panicked scans of her surroundings, but there she was, pretty and pink and perfect, standing halfway down the block. Juleka felt herself relax at the sight of her. Not entirely, but just enough to be able to focus on something other than the warnings blaring in her head. It would be okay. Rose was there. Everything was okay when Rose was there.

Juleka walked down the street to stand in front of Rose, ignoring the unease poking at the edges of her thoughts. She put her hands on Rose’s shoulders, waiting for the familiar warmth to finish pushing out the whispering anxieties. She waited for everything to become okay.

But it didn’t happen.

_Something was wrong._

The unease came back full force, crowding out any warmth Juleka had been feeling. Rose was right there, her skin underneath Juleka’s fingertips, but something was still wrong. Juleka tried to focus, tried to figure out what was unsettling her so deeply, tightened her grip on Rose’s shoulders. But the disquiet just continued to build within her, too disparate to grasp, too thick to push away. She couldn’t figure out where it was coming from and Rose wasn’t making it go away. Rose-

Rose wasn’t looking at her.

Rose was underneath Juleka’s hands, yes, but she was much too still, much too quiet, more like a statue than the warm, lively girl Juleka knew. And she wasn’t looking at her. Her head was bowed just enough that her gorgeous eyes were hidden behind her bangs. Juleka felt alarm congeal into true fear as she ran her hands down Rose’s arms and she didn’t respond. She simply stood there, silent and still.

“Rose?” Juleka asked tentatively, squeezing fingers that lay motionless in her hands.

“Why didn’t you save me?” Rose whispered, her voice so quiet that Juleka almost didn’t hear it, so lifeless that she almost looked around to see where it had come from, because that couldn’t have come from _Rose_. Her fingers slipped out of Juleka’s grasp.

“What?” Juleka asked, resisting the urge to move away like everything in her was telling her to. This was Rose. Everything was okay with Rose. Everything was-

“Why didn’t you _save me_?” Rose repeated, her voice louder, harsher, accusation dripping from every word. She finally moved, looking straight up at Juleka. Except Rose’s eyes were not the familiar warm blue Juleka knew so well. Pink glared up at her from Rose’s face.

“Rose-” Juleka started, finally giving into the impulse to back up, her hands coming up defensively in front of her.

“You could have saved me!” Rose shrieked, her face contorted in rage, and then green was spreading across her skin like wildfire and Rose was gone. She was replaced by a face that Juleka had hoped never to see again. Princess Fragrance’s hateful gaze burned into Juleka’s chest as pink fog began billowing up around her, rapidly overtaking the houses and buildings.

Juleka turned and ran away from the love of her life.

“Juleka,” Princess Fragrance sang behind her. Juleka tried to ignore it, pelting down the street as fast as she could, her legs burning, her lungs protesting. She couldn’t move fast enough. She felt sluggish and heavy, like something was weighing her down.

“Why didn’t you save me?” Princess Fragrance cried, her voice all hate and anger and accusation, and much, much too close. Against her better judgement, Juleka glanced over her shoulder. She almost tripped when she came to an abrupt stop. Because Princess Fragrance wasn’t behind her. Juleka could see the outlines of buildings and mailboxes and advertisements through the fog, but it didn’t seem to be advancing and Princess Fragrance was nowhere in sight. The fear pounding in Juleka’s chest didn’t ease, but it was joined by anxiety. _Where was Princess Fragrance?_

“Jules,” a voice said. Juleka whipped around to see Chat Noir and Ladybug standing behind her. Relief ripped through her at the sight of them and she almost took a step towards them, her mouth already opening to tell them what was happening or tell them how glad she was that they were there or maybe just cry, who knows. But then she took in their faces, blank, and their bodies, as motionless as statues, just like Rose’s had been. She took in the pink fog that now surrounded the three of them in a ring. No escape.

“Chat? Ladybug?” Juleka asked tentatively, not daring to move closer and not able to move back into the fog. “What-”

“How could you let this happen?” Chat asked, his voice devoid of emotion. Juleka flinched as if she had been struck. She felt even heavier and fear raced through her veins, telling her to get away, _get away_ , but there was nowhere to go.

“We trusted you,” Ladybug said, her voice empty. Juleka sank to her knees, unable to continue standing under all of the weight on her back.

“I-” Juleka started, fear and sorrow and pain constricting her throat.

“Why didn’t you save us?” Ladybug asked. Then Master Fu stepped out of the fog, impassively watching Juleka. And behind him came Mr. Dupain and Mrs. Cheng. Then Lucas and the Lavillants, Alya and Nino, Nathanaël, Chloe, Aunt Gwendoline, her parents. One by one until everyone Juleka cared about was standing around her, looking down at her with the same blank faces and the stone still postures and looking so _unnatural_. It wasn’t _right_ for the most vibrant people in Juleka’s life to be so lifeless. Suddenly they started shuffling aside to reveal Princess Fragrance. She moved towards Juleka slowly, staring down at her, loathing written across her face, burning in her narrowed eyes. She stopped in front of her and bent down, her face so close to Juleka’s that her breath washed over her face. Juleka wished more than anything that she could move away, but the weight on her back pinned her down and rendered her helpless.

“Why didn’t you save us?” Princess Fragrance whispered.

And then they were all moving, closing in on her with those eerily dead expressions, their hands rising to catch her. Juleka wanted to run from them, from all of the people she loved, from the reality of what she’d done. She hated it, she hated herself, she hated the weight that held her down. They were closing in and they were going to tear her apart and there was nothing she could do about it. She couldn’t do it, she couldn’t, she couldn’t save them any more than she could save herself, she couldn’t save them, she couldn’t, she-

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

She woke up crying.

Juleka’s breath was still punching out of her chest and fear and adrenaline were still pounding through her veins, but the dream was already fading. Not that it mattered much. Juleka had had the dream too many times before for the details to fade completely. Every night since Christmas. She didn’t wake up crying every morning, but it had happened often enough that she merely sighed and snatched some tissues out of the box she’d taken to keeping by her bed.

Juleka wasn’t stupid. She knew what the dream meant and why she was having it and she knew that she should probably talk to someone about it. But who could she talk to? Rose didn’t know anything about the Miraculous or Juleka’s involvement and Juleka couldn’t tell her. Marinette and Adrien knew, but they’d have the same reaction as Tikki and Plagg; they’d be excited and want her to take the Miraculous and they’d be all confused and upset when she told them she couldn’t. Master Fu was normally her recourse for conversations she couldn’t have with anyone else, but this time he was the conversation. Juleka couldn’t talk about this with any of them.

So instead, she ignored it. She pushed it back down underneath all of her other problems where it would stay until it leaked out again that night. She got out of bed and put on clothes and brushed her teeth and got ready for school as if her world hadn’t fundamentally changed since the last time she’d packed her backpack. And she was relieved when she heard the knock on her front door.

“Juleka!” Rose said happily when Juleka opened the door. She immediately flung her arms around Juleka’s neck, her bag thumping against her back. Juleka smiled into Rose’s hair and relaxed into her hold. She was so different from the Rose of her dream that the tension remaining in her chest drained away. Rose was here. Everything was okay when Rose was here.

“Morning, Rose,” Juleka said when Rose finally let her go. She grabbed her backpack, shrugged on her coat, locked her front door behind her, then took Rose’s hand and the croissant she was offering her.

“Good morning,” Rose said, tugging Juleka down the hall and going first down the stairs. “You ready for the first day back at school?”

“Yes,” Juleka said firmly. Rose giggled, throwing a smile over her shoulder at Juleka that warmed her straight through.

“Why?” Rose asked, looking back down at the stairs so that she could focus on navigating while still awkwardly holding Juleka’s hand. “We have to go back to _schoolwork_.” Juleka could hear the disgust in Rose’s voice and smiled.

“But we also go back to seeing each other every day,” Juleka said. Christmas break had been more Rose-light than usual. For some reason, there had been more family visits and events that Rose just couldn’t get out of. Juleka had still gotten to see her a couple times a week and had had people to hang out with when she couldn’t, but there hadn’t been nearly enough Rose time.

“That’s true!” Rose said, her face lighting up. She let go of Juleka’s hand to bounce down the last few steps and beamed up at her from the bottom. “I guess I can suffer through chemistry if I get to hold your hand.” She held out her hand and wiggled her fingers.

“Of course,” Juleka said, taking Rose’s hand again and feeling everything slot into place. She took a bite of her croissant as they walked out of the building and into bright sunshine. Rose immediately shivered in the cold air and tucked herself against Juleka’s side. She chuckled and wrapped her arm around Rose’s shoulders.

“Maybe I should have gotten you a warmer coat for Christmas,” Juleka said as they crossed the street.

“Hey,” Rose said, poking Juleka in the side as she pouted up at her. “I loved what you got me.” Juleka felt her face warm up and she ducked behind her bangs. Juleka had been drawing Rose for years, but most of the sketches quite obviously showcased how she felt about her, so she’d kept them to herself, steadily amassing a collection. She’d bound them in a portfolio and gave them to Rose for Christmas. Juleka had almost had a panic attack giving evidence of her long, super bad crush to her, but she needn’t have worried. Rose had cried and immediately started to clear spots on her walls for her favorites.

“I’m glad,” Juleka said softly, squeezing Rose’s shoulder.

“Speaking of Christmas gifts, Lucas was so excited to use yours this morning,” Rose said, bouncing a little under Juleka’s arm. She giggled at the memory. “He kept going on and on about how Amelie was going to love his super awesome, amazing, space-tacular new backpack.”

“Was space-tacular your adjective or Lucas’s?” Juleka asked, craning her head to look at Rose’s face and the blush seeping into her cheeks.

“Both?” Rose said with a shy smile. Juleka chuckled and straightened up so that Rose could blush in peace.

“I’m glad that painting all of those stars was worth it,” Juleka said, taking another bite of her croissant.

“It definitely was,” Rose giggled. “Lucas has been trying to get Maman to let him use it for weeks now, but she told him he had to wait for school. She almost didn’t let him. She kept fussing about how nice it is.”

“But I made it for him to use for school,” Juleka said, frowning. She felt Rose shrug against her.

“You know how Maman is. She just doesn’t want something you worked so hard on to get ruined,” Rose said, tensing beneath Juleka’s arm. Juleka sighed, but she let it go. Mrs. Lavillant was just trying to take care of it after all.

“I get it. I’m glad Lucas finally got to use his space-tacular backpack,” Juleka said, raising her hand from Rose’s arm to ruffle her hair. Rose giggled, ducking away from Juleka’s hand. But she didn’t relax, her shoulders still high next to her ears when they stopped to wait for the light to change. Juleka craned her head to look at Rose’s face again, catching a worried expression before Rose noticed her looking and smiled.

“You okay?” Juleka asked, reluctantly straightening as the light changed and they started across the street. She was a little annoyed that she couldn’t see Rose’s face as easily like this, but she also enjoyed Rose’s warmth against her side too much to let go. She felt as well as heard Rose’s sigh as her shoulders relaxed.

“Yeah,” Rose said, sounding a little defeated. She looked up at Juleka with a sad face. “Papa has some work thing he has to go to tomorrow, so we’re having game night tonight instead.” Juleka automatically stiffened. Then she sighed, forcing herself to relax.

“Oh,” Juleka said, unsure of what else to say, but knowing that Rose was waiting for her to respond. She stuffed the rest of her croissant into her mouth even though she wasn’t very hungry anymore.

“You could come, Juleka,” Rose said softly. Juleka sighed. “You _could_. I know you don’t feel like you belong, but you _do_ , you-”

“Rose,” Juleka interrupted. Rose fell silent. They walked that way for a while, both of them tense and quiet, but unwilling to move away from each other. Juleka glanced down at Rose, but she could only see the top of her head. “I ruined everything last time, Rose,” Juleka said at last. “I can’t do that again.”

“That was _years_ ago,” Rose said sadly, looking up at Juleka with wide eyes. “It’s different now. You’re more used to people loving you now.”

“I don’t know, Rose…” Juleka said, her chest tightening at the thought of going to another game night.

“Please, Juleka. If they spend more time with you, they might let you come to more family things. Just try it one more time? For me?” Rose asked, wearing that pleading expression that Juleka had never and would never be able to resist. Juleka thought it extremely unsportsmanlike of her to use her unfair cuteness advantage in this situation, but she sighed anyways.

“Okay,” Juleka said, ignoring the unease pooling in her stomach.

“Really?” Rose squealed, clasping her hands underneath her chin and beaming up at Juleka. “You’ll come to game night?”

“Really,” Juleka said. She couldn’t help but smile when Rose squealed again and started bouncing. Juleka had to hold her back from bouncing straight into traffic, but she just kept grinning.

“It’ll be great, Juleka. You’ll see,” Rose said happily. Juleka simply nodded and started across the street, pushing down her nervousness for the rest of the walk.

“Jules! Rose!” a voice called as they approached the school. Juleka looked up from Rose to find Marinette waving at them from the bottom of the stairs. Juleka adjusted her bag on her shoulder and waved back. “Good morning.”

“Morning,” Juleka said.

“Why are you standing outside?” Rose asked, tilting her head so that her hair brushed against the lace of Juleka’s sleeve. Marinette promptly turned pink. That was all Juleka needed to know exactly what she was doing.

“Um. I’m waiting for someone?” Marinette said with a shy smile, confirming Juleka’s suspicion.

“Alya?” Rose asked. Marinette’s blush darkened and she shook her head. Juleka felt Rose turn to look at her and she looked down just in time to catch a rare, mischievous glint in Rose’s eye. She turned an innocent smile on Marinette and tilted her head again. “Adrien?” Marinette squeaked at that, her eyes widening as her hands flew up in front of her.

“A-Adrien? What? No way,” Marinette babbled, her face fully red as her hands flailed. “Why would I be waiting for Adrien? It’s not like we’re all that _close_. I mean we hardly spend any time together outside of school, none at all. I- we-” Juleka wasn’t sure whether Marinette was babbling due to her “secret” crush or due to her Super Secret, but either way, she was glad when Adrien’s limo pulled up and Marinette’s jaw snapped shut on the ill-fated sentence she’d been trying to stammer out. Adrien stepped out of the limo, already grinning in their direction. Juleka had no doubt that he was mostly grinning at Marinette, judging by the pink rising in his cheeks.

“Hey, guys,” Adrien said, strolling up to them with one hand rubbing at his neck. He smiled at Juleka and Rose before turning his attention to Marinette. “Hey, Marinette,” he said shyly.

“Hey, Adrien,” Marinette said, also shy, but way more put together than she’d ever managed before the break.

“Are you guys excited to be back at school?” Adrien asked, glancing at Juleka and Rose to include them in the question, but returning his gaze on Marinette.

“Ugh, _no_ ,” Marinette groaned. “I wish Christmas break had just lasted _forever_.”

“I’m happy to see everyone again and all, but I am _not_ excited to see _textbooks_ again,” Rose added. Adrien and Marinette laughed and Juleka smiled fondly at her.

“I couldn’t wait to get back here,” Adrien said with a shrug. “I don’t really get why people dislike school so much. This is where all my friends are.”

“Yeah, but this is also where all the homework is, homeschool boy,” Marinette teased.

“I do believe the _home_ work, is at _home_ , public school girl,” Adrien shot back, grinning from ear to ear.

“It comes from school,” Marinette insisted.

“Whatever you say, my Lady,” Adrien said with a shrug.

“Isn’t that what Chat Noir calls Ladybug?” Rose asked suddenly. Adrien and Marinette both froze, looking down at Rose like really ridiculous deer caught in really adorable headlights.

“Um,” Adrien said eloquently, turning his panicked gaze to Juleka. Marinette also looked up at her, wearing the exact same expression.

“That’s really cute,” Juleka said calmly, suppressing a sigh and mentally shaking her head. She turned to Rose. “I should call you that.”

“Does that mean I get to call you ‘kitty’?” Rose giggled. Juleka pretended to consider it for a moment, giving Adrien and Marinette some time to compose themselves that they almost certainly weren’t using.

“I think I prefer ‘Juleka,’ my Lady,” Juleka said. Rose’s nose screwed up as she giggled again.

“That just sounds weird,” Rose decided. She turned back to Adrien and Marinette. “You guys can keep your nicknames.”

“Oh, we’re not-” Marinette squeaked, face red all over again and steadfastly not looking at Adrien.

“You think- that’s, um- we’re just friends,” Adrien said, his voice about an octave too high and his hand determinedly clutching at the back of his neck.

“Oh! I’m so sorry! It was rude of me to assume,” Rose said, her hands flying to her cheeks. Adrien and Marinette hastened to assure her that it was okay, both of them red and stammering and still not looking at one another.

“We should get inside,” Juleka said eventually, cutting off their awkward and completely ineffective attempts to fix the conversation.

“Yes!” Adrien agreed a touch too quickly, relief evident in his voice and the relaxing of his shoulders.

“Good idea,” Marinette said, also too quickly, abruptly turning and heading inside. Adrien gave Juleka and Rose a sheepish smile. Then he turned and went after Marinette, jogging to catch up with her and bending to talk to her quietly.

“What was _that_ about?” Rose asked, bewildered.

“I have no idea,” Juleka said honestly, tugging Rose along as she started up the stairs at a more sedate pace than Marinette and Adrien. She had been dealing with all of the emotional fallout of the reveal for weeks, both Adrien and Marinette having multiple minor breakdowns. They were in a relatively stable place now, but neither of them really knew where that place was.

“They really seemed like they were dating,” Rose said thoughtfully. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Marinette speak to Adrien so normally before.”

“Maybe they hung out over the break and Marinette got over it. They’re both friends with Nino,” Juleka said with her best nonchalant shrug.

“Maybe,” Rose said, her eyes following Marinette and Adrien as they entered the classroom, Adrien laughing at something Marinette had said and Marinette grinning up at him. “One thing’s for sure: they’re _definitely_ moving up the OTP-of-the-year list.” Juleka chuckled, nudging Rose to go up the stairs first. Then something occurred to her.

“Are _we_ in the running now?” Juleka asked. Rose abruptly stopped on the stairs, spinning around to gape at her.

“Oh my goodness!” Rose cried, her hands flying to her cheeks. “I didn’t think about that.”

“Think about it in the classroom,” Juleka said fondly, gently pushing on Rose’s hip to get her moving. Rose reluctantly began moving again, but Juleka could tell that she was still thinking about the new development.

“I’ve never been on the OTP list before,” Rose said reverently once they reached the top of the stairs, her hands slipping down to curl underneath her chin, her eyes shining. Then her face fell into a look of utter dismay. “How am I supposed to be an impartial observer if I’m one of the couples?”

“You can’t,” Juleka said. Rose frowned up at her, letting out a mew of distress. “Can you get someone else to judge?”

“You’re the only one I ever talk to about the OTP-of-the-year,” Rose said sadly. Juleka blinked. Rose had always talked about it like it was something that everyone knew about.

“I’m sure you could find someone to help,” Juleka said, taking Rose’s hand and squeezing it reassuringly. “Alix and Kim certainly seemed interested in class relationships.”

“But they’d turn it into a competition,” Rose said, her nose screwing up adorably.

“Isn’t it already a competition?” Juleka asked carefully. Rose let out a huff of annoyance. Juleka cast around for another solution, but she was kind of sidetracked as they walked into the classroom and she looked up to find Chloe staring back at her.

Juleka hadn’t seen Chloe since she’d stormed out of the parking lot the night of the Christmas party, since she’d begged Juleka to let her in on the secret of getting people to like her. The desperate expression on Chloe’s face that night was one of many things that had been haunting Juleka in the weeks since. If she hadn’t been preoccupied with dreams and reveals and game nights, she probably would have worried about what would happen when she saw her this morning.

Honestly, it wasn’t all that different from before. The same guarded glare, hate leaking through the detached mask she was keeping up. However, for a split second, Chloe’s gaze flicked to Rose. And for that one second, Chloe’s mask slipped and she looked vulnerable in a way Juleka had only ever seen in that parking lot. Her gaze moved to Adrien and Marinette, Alya and Nino, all of whom were smiling and greeting Juleka and Rose. And Chloe looked almost…broken. Her eyes moved back to Juleka and her face immediately shuttered again, but Juleka had already seen the pain. Chloe glared at her even more hatefully, then pointedly turned away.

Juleka didn’t know what to do with what she saw, what she knew. Chloe was insufferable and annoying and cruel, but she carried some of the same scars that ached in Juleka and they obviously hurt her a lot. Juleka felt something in her chest urging her to help, but she didn’t know how to help Chloe without getting stung. She didn’t know if Chloe deserved it.

“Juleka?” Rose asked, bringing Juleka back to Earth. Juleka blinked when she found Rose, Adrien, Marinette, Alya, and Nino all watching her with varying levels of concern.

“Huh?” Juleka asked. Rose giggled and the rest of her friends relaxed, all smiling down at her.

“I asked if you were ready for chemistry,” Alya said, a friendly smile quirking her lips.

“Is anyone ever ready for chemistry?” Juleka sighed.

“I am,” Adrien said, pouting a little.

“Is anyone who isn’t a nerd ever ready for chemistry?” Marinette asked, smiling teasingly down at Adrien. Adrien blushed as he looked back at her, shrugging and giving her a dopey grin. Alya’s jaw dropped. Her gaze flew between Marinette and Adrien like she’d never seen them before. She turned to Nino, who seemed just as bewildered as she did. Juleka hastily tugged Rose towards the stairs before Alya could turn to her. From the safety of her seat, Juleka watched Alya lean over and whisper-yell at Marinette, who tensed in the way she always did when she was smiling her lying-through-my-teeth smile.

“Guess we’re not the only ones who caught how weird Adrien and Marinette were acting,” Rose giggled. Juleka looked over at Rose to find her watching their friends at the front of the class with her chin propped in her hands.

“Guess not,” Juleka sighed, taking her tablet out of her bag. “I wonder if they’ll get through the school day without getting jumped for information.” Rose giggled at that, bumping Juleka’s shoulder with her own.

“Well, there’s only a couple more hours until school is over,” Rose said brightly. “We should all be able to get through it unscathed.” Juleka nodded, trying to make herself believe it. Adrien and Marinette were already proving to be the same obvious messes they always were, which meant that _she_ was probably either going to be worrying about them or dealing with their freak outs for the rest of the day.

“There’s also only a couple more hours until we get to go home for game night!” Rose said cheerfully. Juleka tensed. Somehow, she’d managed to forget about game night for a whole fifteen minutes.

“Right,” Juleka said. “Only a couple more hours.”

Well. It looked like Juleka would have something other than Adrien and Marinette to worry about.

Yippee.

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Juleka tried and failed to suppress a sigh when the final bell rang.

“You okay?” Nathanaël asked, giving her a concerned look as he swung his bag onto his shoulder. Most of the students in the class had packed up their art supplies already and were heading for the door, but Juleka was just now putting down her brush. It wasn’t one of the expensive brushes Adrien had gotten her. Those were at home, reluctantly accepted after Adrien steadfastly refused to take them back.

“Yeah,” Juleka said with yet another sigh, rinsing her brush in the murky paint water. “Just not looking forward to what I have to do after school.”

“Good luck,” Nathanaël said, giving Juleka a sympathetic nod and a comforting pat on the shoulder.

“Thanks, Nath,” Juleka said, giving him a small smile in return. “See you tomorrow.” Nathanaël walked out and left Juleka to her packing without another word and Juleka took a moment to be grateful for his easy, quiet friendship. Then she went right back to worrying.

It had been a pretty normal day; Juleka had held Rose’s hand at every opportunity, had attempted to listen to her teachers, had watched Adrien and Marinette fail to act normally at almost every turn. Same old, same old. However, that meant that it wasn’t quite enough to distract Juleka from the nervousness hovering at the back of her mind, waiting for a lapse in concentration to creep into her thoughts.

Juleka was trying to tell herself that it was going to be okay. Game night would be fun. Rose was right; it was different now. Juleka was closer to the Lavillants, had more experience with being included, knew more about why the Lavillants simultaneously pulled her close and held her at a distance. This time would be different. She wouldn’t ruin it again. She wouldn’t.

But she couldn’t quite bring herself to believe it. And she couldn’t stop _worrying_.

So, she took her time packing up as if stalling was going to solve anything.

When the door to the classroom opened, Juleka assumed it was Rose, who always met her at the art room at the end of the day, or perhaps Nathanaël, who might have decided that Juleka looked too worried to truly be okay, or even a random art student, who could have left something behind. She certainly wasn’t expecting to look up and see Alya and Nino walk into the classroom.

“Hey, Jules,” Alya said casually, threading through the tables to stand in front of Juleka, Nino following behind.

“Hey guys,” Juleka said, not bothering to hide her suspicion. She was pretty sure that neither of them had ever set foot in the art room before, so they had to be there for _her_. She just didn’t know _why_. “What’s up?”

“Just wanted to see how you were doing,” Nino said with a shrug. Juleka raised an eyebrow at him and he smiled nervously. His girlfriend’s poker face was much better than his.

“Right,” Juleka said slowly, glancing between the two of them, both trying to look innocent and only one of them succeeding. Juleka decided to play along. They’d get to their point eventually. “I’m fine. How are you?”

“We’re good,” Alya said pleasantly. “Glad that the school day’s over.” Juleka nodded and continued to pack up her things, letting a beat of silence pass between them.

“So, have you talked to Adrien and Marinette recently?” Alya asked nonchalantly.

 _Ah_ , Juleka thought. They wanted to know what was up with Adrien and Marinette and for some reason thought that Juleka would know more than they did. She _did_ know more than they did, but she wasn’t sure what made Alya and Nino think so.

“Yeah,” Juleka said tersely, carrying her brushes over to the sink so that she could wash them properly. Alya and Nino followed her.

“How are they?” Nino asked. Juleka paused her washing to raise an eyebrow at him again. He shifted uncomfortably but kept up his innocent smile.

“Wouldn’t you guys know that better than me?” Juleka asked. “You are their best friends.” Alya and Nino exchanged a glance.

“But you are too,” Alya said. Juleka stopped washing to blink at her.

“I am?” Juleka blurted. Alya and Nino exchanged another glance, looking confused.

“Of course,” Alya said. Juleka blinked at her for another moment, trying to absorb that. She knew that Adrien and Marinette were some of _her_ closest friends, but for them to consider her to be that important to _them_ in return…Maybe she shouldn’t have been surprised. She _had_ spent Christmas with Marinette’s family and Adrien had given her a set of hundred euro paintbrushes, but she just- she still didn’t expect to be anyone’s best _anything_. She was tired of being surprised by people caring about her, but she didn’t know how to get _used_ to it. Of course, it’d probably help if she stopped avoiding dealing with her own feelings, but-

“Alya, let’s just ask her,” Nino said in exasperation, crossing his arms over his chest and interrupting Juleka’s mini crisis.

“Nino,” Alya complained, turning to glare at him.

“Come on, babe. It’ll be easier. And it’s not like Juleka’s untrustworthy,” Nino said, gesturing to Juleka, who pointedly focused on washing her paintbrushes.

“Fine,” Alya huffed, turning back to Juleka. “We’re not just here to see how you are.”

“Oh, really?” Juleka asked flatly.

“We think there’s something up with Adrien and Marinette,” Alya continued, ignoring Juleka’s comment. “But they won’t talk to us.”

“Something up?” Juleka asked, artfully furrowing her brow.

“They’re acting _weird_ , dude,” Nino said, shaking his head. “Adrien keeps blushing and he’s making _way_ more puns than he usually does.”

“And Marinette is speaking to Adrien in complete sentences and making puns right _back_ ,” Alya said, looking absolutely astounded. “If it were anyone else, I’d say they’d started dating, but it’s Adrien and Marinette. It’d take a small miracle to get them together. And Marinette would be shouting it from the rooftops.”

“Adrien too,” Nino confirmed.

A miracle, huh? Juleka guessed that the way Adrien and Marinette had been orbiting one another could be considered _miraculous_. She focused on carefully drying her paintbrushes as she considered how to proceed. Alya and Nino knew Adrien and Marinette better than anyone else save Juleka, and Alya in particular was uniquely qualified to make dangerous connections. If the change in their relationship had been less firmly intertwined with the Super Secret, Juleka might have just told them what she knew. However, if it was less connected to Super Secret, Adrien and Marinette likely would have told them themselves...

“I don’t think they’re dating,” Juleka said truthfully. They both looked a little disappointed at that. “Maybe something else happened between them?”

“But what could have happened between them that they wouldn’t tell us about?” Alya burst out, flinging her hands up.

“I don’t know,” Juleka shrugged, picking up her brushes and moving back over to her work station where she slipped them back into their bag. Then she fixed a raised eyebrow on Alya and Nino. “What could possibly make two people hide a big relationship change from their best friends?” Alya and Nino exchanged a glance and had the grace to look embarrassed.

“We- we’re just not ready-” Alya started, looking distressed. Juleka held up a hand to stop her.

“You don’t have to explain yourself to me,” Juleka said. “But maybe you should respect the fact that they don’t want to tell you.” Alya deflated, her eyes falling away. Nino moved closer, putting an arm around her shoulders.

“You’re right,” Nino said, smiling a little sadly. “I guess we don’t have much room to be frustrated with them for not talking to us.”

“Don’t feel too bad,” Juleka said, carefully picking up her painting and finding a place amongst the other unfinished works for it to dry. “There might not even be anything going on. If there is something, they probably have a good reason for not telling you.”

“Not telling who what?” a voice piped up. All three of them jumped and whirled towards the door, Nino hastily stepping away from Alya. Juleka wasn’t sure how she had missed the door opening, but relaxed when she saw Rose float into the classroom.

“We’re just talking about how weird Adrien and Marinette are being,” Juleka said. Both Alya and Nino turned alarmed faces to Juleka. “Rose was commenting on that this morning,” Juleka assured them. They relaxed a little, exchanging one of their glances before turning to look at Rose.

“Good to know it isn’t just us,” Nino said, smiling at her.

“Oh, no,” Rose giggled. “Whatever’s going on there, it’s as obvious as it gets.”

There went the maybe-there’s-nothing-happening route.

“I love her, but Marinette wouldn’t know subtle if it bit her,” Alya sighed.

“Well, _I_ thought my man Adrien was smoother than this,” Nino said with a disappointed shake of his head. Juleka barely managed to hold back her snort.

“We should really do an intervention. Confront them about how cute they’re being,” Rose giggled. Juleka felt a hint of alarm jolt through her when Alya’s eyes lit up.

“They have the right to keep it to themselves,” Juleka said pointedly. Alya gave her a sheepish smile and a nod that said she was scrapping the plans she had likely already been making. Juleka shook her head and held her hand out to Rose. “You ready to go?”

“Yup,” Rose said cheerfully, taking Juleka’s hand and starting towards the door. “Bye guys!” she called over her shoulder. Juleka caught and returned Nino and Alya’s waves before she was pulled out of the classroom.

“We’ll see how long they refrain from that intervention,” Juleka sighed, already planning her own intervention with Adrien and Marinette that’d have to happen before they were faced with that inquiry. If they didn’t change or explain how they were acting, Nino and Alya would eventually either demand an explanation or see their friendships dissolve under the guilt they were reminded of every time they saw Adrien and Marinette do something weird or flirtatious. Neither option was particularly pleasant for any parties involved. So Juleka (when had this become her life?) would have to stop it from happening.

“Come on, Juleka,” Rose said cheerfully, tugging Juleka out of her thoughts and down the hallway. “We have to finish our homework before game night.”

“Right,” Juleka said weakly. “Game night.”

And just like that, the game night worries came flooding back, effortlessly washing away the Super Secret worries.

Yay.

 

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“Maman, we’re home!” Rose cried, stepping aside to let Juleka walk past her into the house.

“Hello!” Mrs. Lavillant called back, poking her head out of the kitchen to wave. Her friendly smile changed to a look of surprise when her eyes caught on Juleka. “Juleka! I didn’t expect to see you today. Did you tell her we moved game night, dear?” Her gaze shifted to Rose, concern dampening her smile.

“She’s going to stay for game night, Maman,” Rose said excitedly, tugging at the back of Juleka’s coat until she allowed it to be pulled off.

“Really?” Mrs. Lavillant asked, her eyes widening. When Juleka nodded, her face broke into a bright grin. “Oh, that’s wonderful, Juleka. We’ll be glad to have you.”

“Juleka’s staying for game night?” Lucas gasped as he scuttled out of the hallway. He saw Juleka standing by the door and hurtled towards her, slamming into her and wrapping his arms firmly around her waist.

“Yup,” Juleka said, a little breathlessly, wrapping her arms around Lucas in return.

“I’ve been waiting for this day for forever,” Lucas informed Juleka solemnly, turning his head to prop his chin on her belly and stare up at her.

“It hasn’t been that long since I played games with you,” Juleka said. Lucas shook his head emphatically, managing to stab Juleka in the stomach with his chin.

“It’s been forever,” Lucas said. He finally released her so that he could turn to the house and announce, “I call Juleka for my team!”

“Most of our board games aren’t team games, Lucas,” Mrs. Lavillant pointed out fondly before she returned to the kitchen. Lucas frowned as he mulled this problem over, then he brightened when he discovered a solution.

“I call Juleka for my team anyways,” Lucas announced, setting his fists on his hips and scowling as if he would fight anyone that dared to contradict his statement. Rose giggled and ruffled Lucas’s hair. Lucas batted at her hands, but gave her a teeny smile.

“I bet Maman and Papa will let you have Juleka on your team just this once,” Rose said, grinning at Juleka over Lucas’s head.

“Yes!” Lucas said, bouncing excitedly just like Rose always did. He backed up so that he could look up at both Rose and Juleka. “Will you guys watch TV with me until dinner?” he asked hopefully.

“Sorry, Lucas. We have to get our homework done,” Rose said. Lucas pouted and looked up at them with those wide blue eyes.

“We’ll see you at dinner, okay?” Juleka asked, ruffling Lucas’s hair as she followed Rose to her room.

“Okay,” Lucas said sullenly, moving to plop down on the couch and wait for them to be done.

“I’d much rather watch TV with Lucas than do homework,” Rose said mournfully as she closed her bedroom door behind them and flung herself onto her bed. Juleka nodded distractedly, sitting down next to her and pulling out her homework.

“Juleka?” Rose asked. Juleka looked up to see Rose watching her, concern written in the furrow of her brow and the frown on her lips. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Juleka said as lightly as she could, looking back down at the French textbook.

“You don’t sound okay,” Rose said quietly. Juleka stared down at the textbook, unsure of how to communicate the nerves throbbing in her skull without hurting Rose. Without making her worry too. “Oh, Juleka. It’s going to be _okay_.” Juleka felt Rose’s little hand press against her back and looked up, saw the sadness on her face.

“I don’t want to-” Juleka started.

“You are not going to ruin anything,” Rose said firmly, her face going as fierce as it could as she took Juleka’s face in gentle hands, forcing her to make eye contact. “I love you, Juleka. And Lucas loves you and my parents love you and we are going to sit down and play a game and it is going to be fine. You saw how excited Maman and Lucas were to hear you were going to stay. It’s going to be okay.” Juleka took a deep breath, leaning forward to press her forehead against Rose’s, and tried to believe it.

She was different, things were different, it was going to be okay.

It was going to be okay.

 

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Somehow, Juleka managed to keep from hyperventilating all through dinner. She took comfort in the routine of dinner with the Lavillants, setting the table, washing up, sharing their days, father then mother then sister then brother. Cleaning the dishes afterwards, Rose washing, Lucas drying, Juleka putting them away. She wished that she could hold Rose’s hand, but she settled for Rose’s warmth by her side. Whenever Rose passed her, she pressed gentle fingers into her skin, reminding her that she was there, that everything was good.

“Who’s ready for some Monopoly?” Mr. Lavillant asked, bringing the game box to the table.

“Aw, can we play Milles Bornes instead?” Lucas asked, turning his dangerous pleading eyes on his father.

“We played Milles Bornes last week, Lucas,” Mr. Lavillant said firmly, seemingly unaffected as he shook his head, opening the Monopoly box and taking out its contents.

“But it’s the best one,” Lucas said, pouting as he took a seat at the table.

“Lucas,” Mr. Lavillant said warningly. Lucas still pouted, but he didn’t say anything more about Milles Bornes. Instead, he brightened and patted the chair next to him imperiously.

“Come on, Juleka,” Lucas said happily. “You’re on my team.”

“Monopoly isn’t a team game,” Mrs. Lavillant said as she lowered herself into her seat at one end of the table.

“But I called her,” Lucas said, his pout threatening a return appearance. Mrs. Lavillant looked prepared to shoot him down again, so Juleka stepped in.

“I know it’s not in the rules, but it wouldn’t hurt if he and I worked together, would it?” Juleka asked, walking around to put a hand on Lucas’s shoulder and smile hopefully at the Lavillants. They exchanged a glance, deliberating. Mrs. Lavillant shrugged and Mr. Lavillant sighed.

“You can be a team,” Mr. Lavillant said, shaking his head fondly when Lucas cheered. He continued setting up the game board and distributing pieces as everyone else took their seats, Juleka and Lucas sitting across from Rose, Mrs. Lavillant at one end and Mr. Lavillant at the other. “Alright everybody. Pick your game piece.” Lucas lunged for the boat and set it proudly between him and Juleka. Juleka offered a fist and he bumped it. Rose claimed the dog slightly more calmly than her brother. Mrs. Lavillant took the thimble and Mr. Lavillant chose the top hat.

And then they played.

And it was… _fun_.

After the first ten minutes, the tension in Juleka’s shoulders began to slip away. After the first half hour, Juleka began to wonder what she had been so worried about, why she had felt so uncomfortable the last time, why she’d felt the need to protect herself from _this_.

“Juleka, we have to get to Rue De La Paix,” Lucas announced when she handed him the dice.

“Why?” Juleka said, knowing that Rue De La Paix had the highest rent on the board, but having played long enough to know that Lucas’s buying incentives were seldom monetary.

“Dark blue is Amelie’s favorite color,” Lucas said, as if it should be completely obvious. Juleka looked across the table at Rose, caught her eyes twinkling and her hand hiding her mouth to hold back a giggle.

“Of course,” Juleka said, nodding solemnly and winking at Rose, who let out a burst of giggles before she contained them again. Lucas ignored it, intently studying the board. Juleka counted the spaces between their ship and the property. “You have to roll a twelve to get there.”

“I don’t know, son. Everybody’s been missing it so far,” Mr. Lavillant said, reaching over to pat Lucas on the shoulder in sympathy. Lucas screwed up his face as he considered the challenge. Then he handed one die to Juleka.

“We can do it,” Lucas said firmly. Juleka smiled and held out her fist, die resting warm in her fingers, and received a die-fist from Lucas in return. Then they each rolled, watching with baited breath as the cubes tumbled across the table.

“Oh my goodness,” Mrs. Lavillant cried, pressing a hand to her chest as they all leaned forward to see two sixes resting in the center of the game board.

“Yes!” Lucas cheered, flinging himself at Juleka, before just as quickly scrambling off her to move the ship the twelve spaces to the Rue De La Paix property space, bouncing across each square at lightning speed.

“Would you like to buy the property?” Mr. Lavillant asked, the corner of his mouth quirked in an amused smile. Lucas bobbed his head rapidly, holding out his hand. “That’ll be four hundred euros.” Lucas’s face fell and he turned to Juleka. She gave him a reassuring smile as she counted the money into his hand. He turned back to his father with an ecstatic smile, holding the stack of bills out proudly and dancing in his seat when it was exchanged for the property card.

“Can we put houses on it?” Lucas asked, craning his head to look at the board.

“Rose has the other blue property,” Juleka pointed out, pointing to Avenue Des Champs-Elysees, which Rose had bought a few turns before. Lucas’s face fell.

“We can’t put houses on it anyways?” Lucas asked mournfully.

“That’s against the rules, dear,” Mrs. Lavillant said kindly. Lucas thought long and hard, his face furrowed in a frown of concentration. Then it cleared and he looked up at Rose.

“Rose, give us the blue card,” Lucas said, as if that was a perfect solution.

“Manners, Lucas,” Mrs. Lavillant chided.

“Give us the blue card, _please_ ,” Lucas said innocently, looking at his sister expectantly. “Amelie needs houses.”

“What will you give me for it?” Rose asked sweetly, batting her eyes at both Lucas and Juleka. Juleka tried to suppress her smile, but knew by Rose’s grin that she had failed.

“Anything!” Lucas said promptly, flinging his arms out.

“Woah, there,” Mr. Lavillant said quickly. “You don’t want to promise her just anything.”

“But I want the blue card,” Lucas said, tilting his head in confusion.

“Yes, but you don’t want to give away too much,” Mr. Lavillant said patiently. “Ask her what she wants first.” Lucas pouted, but did as he was told.

“What do you want for the blue card?” Lucas asked Rose politely. Rose made a show of deliberating for just long enough to tip Juleka off that she was up to something. She smiled innocently at Juleka before shifting her attention to Lucas.

“I want Juleka,” Rose said decisively. Lucas’s jaw dropped and he looked over at Juleka uncertainly.

“You want Juleka?” he asked. “In exchange for the blue card?”

“Yup,” Rose said cheerfully.

“But Juleka’s my partner,” Lucas said, inching closer to Juleka as if to prevent her from being stolen. Juleka shook her head at Rose as she tried to hold in her laughter. “That’s not allowed is it?” Lucas asked his father.

“There’s nothing in the rules about trading partners,” Mr. Lavillant said, holding up his hands. “What do you think, Maman?”

“Hmmm,” Mrs. Lavillant said, tapping her chin. She looked between her two children. “I say it’s okay. If Lucas is willing to part with her, then Juleka is an acceptable trade.”

“Awww,” Lucas said, looking up at Juleka mournfully, then back at Rose. “What _else_ do you want for the blue card?” he tried.

“Nothing else. I only want Juleka,” Rose said.

“But Rooooose,” Lucas whined. “It’s for _Amelie_.”

“Nope,” Rose said, crossing her arms across her chest and grinning at them. “If you’re doing it for _your_ girlfriend, then I want _mine_.”

 

Juleka saw the moment Rose’s mind caught up to her sentence, saw her eyes widen in horror. She felt the easy, comfortable atmosphere fizzle out. She found herself holding her breath, waiting for the fallout.

 

She should have known the fun wouldn’t last forever.

 

“ _Your_ girlfriend?” Lucas asked, looking between Juleka and Rose, his head tilting as he tried to figure it out. “What do you mean?”

There was a beat of silence in which everyone tried to decide how to answer. Juleka and Rose had talked about telling her parents. They had weighed pros and cons, theorized what the reaction would be. They had never come to any real conclusions. In the end, Rose had dissolved into panicked tears. In the end, they had decided that for now, they’d keep the relationship secret in the Lavillant house.

Juleka desperately wanted to look at Mr. Lavillant and Mrs. Lavillant, to see the looks on their faces, to discern how they were taking this, but she couldn’t look away from Rose, from the panic evident on her face. She wanted to move around the table and take her hand, but she didn’t know what that would do.

“She just means a friend that’s a girl,” Mrs. Lavillant said at last, her tone too high and too cheerful to be believable. Juleka didn’t know whether to be relieved or upset at the obvious denial. “It’s not romantic, dear, it’s-”

“No,” Rose said. She looked as surprised at her word as Juleka was, her eyes somehow finding a way to widen further. Juleka took a deep breath, glad to see that Rose mirrored it, then nodded reassuringly. Rose managed a small, terrified smile, then tore her eyes away from Juleka to look around at her family, determination taking over. “Juleka is my girlfriend. We’re dating.”

In the silence that followed, Juleka finally looked away from Rose. Mrs. Lavillant was staring at Rose, her hand pressed to her chest, her face shocked. Mr. Lavillant was also looking at Rose, but his face was blank, his hands curled into fists on the table. Lucas, on the other hand, looked like Christmas had come again.

“So you _are_ gonna get married! I told you!” Lucas cried when Juleka turned to look at him, throwing his arms around her neck. “This is great! You’re gonna be my sister!”

“We’re not getting married yet,” Juleka chuckled, looking over Lucas’s shoulder at Mr. Lavillant, who was still staring at his daughter.

“Of course you are,” Lucas said, pushing away from Juleka so that he could tilt his head at her. “You’re in love, aren’t you?” Juleka hesitated, her gaze flicking from Mr. Lavillant to Mrs. Lavillant to Rose, before she turned back to Lucas and nodded carefully. “Then you’re gonna get married. You and Rose can have a joint wedding with me and Amelie! We’re gonna have a space theme and it’s gonna be _so cool_ and you can do your space painting everywhere and-”

“Lucas,” Mr. Lavillant said abruptly. Lucas immediately stopped talking, but he stayed close to Juleka, his still hands on her shoulders as he looked over at his father. “Why don’t you go to your room?”

“My room?” Lucas asked, bewildered. “But we haven’t finished the game. And Rose and Juleka are gonna get mar-”

“Go to your room, Lucas,” Mr. Lavillant interrupted firmly. Lucas’s eyes widened. Then he scrambled out of Juleka’s lap and plodded out of the room, looking over his shoulder forlornly before disappearing down the hall. They heard a quiet sniffle and the soft click of Lucas’s door closing.

And then silence fell between them.

“So you two are…dating?” Mrs. Lavillant asked eventually, her hand still pressed to her chest, her face uncertain and tentative as she looked between Rose and Juleka. It was strange to see her without a smile. Mr. Lavillant kept his gaze trained on the table.

“Yes, Maman,” Rose said. Her eyes were still too wide and Juleka could see her hands trembling, but her shoulders were set and her lips were pressed together in determination.

“How long has this been going on?” Mrs. Lavillant asked. Rose glanced at Juleka.

“Two months?” Rose said quietly.

“Two months?” Mrs. Lavillant asked incredulously, the uncertainty sliding off her face to be replaced by hurt. “And you didn’t tell us?”

“I was afraid, Maman,” Rose said quickly, clasping her hands over her chest, her eyes darting to Mr. Lavillant and back. “About how you’d react.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” Mrs. Lavillant said sadly. She too glanced at Mr. Lavillant before looking back at Rose. “You could have told us. We wouldn’t have been upset with you for being- that you’re…”

“Bisexual,” Rose supplied.

“Bisexual,” Mrs. Lavillant repeated, nodding slowly, looking a little queasy. “So that means you…”

“I like boys and girls,” Rose said softly. She looked a little more hopeful now, sitting up a little higher in her chair, her hands almost still. “You- You’re okay with that?”

“I love you, dear,” Mrs. Lavillant said, pulling up a smile to offer her daughter, small and a little shaky, but reassuring nonetheless, and reaching across the Monopoly board to hold a hand out. Rose grabbed it, tension leaking out of her shoulders. “I just want you to be happy.” Mrs. Lavillant looked over at Juleka, offering her a smile as well. “I-if Juleka is what makes you happy…”

“She is,” Rose said, smiling warmly at Juleka. Juleka couldn’t help but smile back, warmth seeping into her cheeks. Rose hesitated, then set her shoulders again. “I love her.”

“Oh,” Mrs. Lavillant said, blinking at the two of them. Her face broke into a warm smile, the first genuine one she had managed since the start of this conversation. She opened her mouth to respond.

“You’re too young,” Mr. Lavillant said suddenly. All three women turned to look at him at once. His eyes were focused on Rose now, his eyebrows set in a frown.

“W-what, Papa?” Rose asked tentatively, her eyes widening again, removing her hand from her mother’s grasp.

“You’re too young to be in love,” Mr. Lavillant said firmly.

“Serge-” Mrs. Lavillant started, looking vaguely taken aback by her husband’s words.

“She is,” Mr. Lavillant interrupted, his fist clenching on the table, crushing a few Monopoly euros. “The girl’s too young to know what she wants.”

“Papa, I-” Rose started.

“No,” Mr. Lavillant said, holding up his hand. Rose snapped her jaw shut, her lip trembling, her hands shaking, her eyes wide, too wide.

“Mr. Lavillant, with all due respect-” Juleka started, speaking up for the first time, because she never could bear to see Rose like that.

Honestly, she should have known better.

“Enough, Juleka,” Mr. Lavillant said sharply, his voice descending into true harshness for the first time. He didn’t look at her, speaking to the game board instead. “You are not a part of this family, so I would thank you to stay out of our business.”

“Serge,” Mrs. Lavillant protested, staring at her husband in disbelief.

“She’s corrupted our daughter, Sylvie, the least she could do is stay out of this,” Mr. Lavillant snapped.

Silence.

 

Juleka wondered, in the eternal moment that stretched between them, what would have happened if she hadn’t come to game night. She wondered how long she and Rose could have stayed happy if she had listened to her instincts and stayed away. If she hadn’t tried to take more from them.

 

She wondered what would happen now that Rose was going to be forbidden from seeing her. She wondered what it would be like to see Rose every day and know that they couldn’t be together anymore and remember what they had lost. She wondered if Rose would blame her for what had happened. She probably wouldn’t, but Juleka already knew that she blamed herself.

 

She wondered if this silence truly lasted as long as it felt it did, or if it was just her brain putting the world in slow motion so that it could remember everything in perfect detail later; the heartbreak shattering Rose’s face, the horror playing across Mrs. Lavillant’s, the hatred on Mr. Lavillant’s. She wondered if the world had stopped for anyone else or if it was just her suspended in time, watching everything fall apart again, again, again. Just as she’d known it would.

 

She wondered-

 

“No,” Rose said, punching through the silence and dragging Juleka back to the present. She looked up at Rose, saw her staring at her father with what looked like _anger_ in her eyes. Juleka couldn’t be sure. She had never seen Rose angry before. “You don’t get to talk about her that way.”

“Rose, I didn’t mean-” Mr. Lavillant started, but for once, he was the one interrupted.

“I _love_ her and I w-won’t let you hurt her,” Rose said fiercely, her voice wobbling a little, but firm nonetheless. She pushed away from the table abruptly, her chair scraping harshly over the floor, plastic houses sliding across the game board and Monopoly money fluttering to the floor as the surface shook.

“Sit down,” Mr. Lavillant said, anger and warning rising in his voice.

“Serge,” Mrs. Lavillant said, reaching a placating hand out to her husband.

“Come on, Juleka,” Rose said, marching around the table and taking Juleka’s hand. Juleka could feel her shaking. She allowed herself to be pulled out of her seat, glancing over her shoulder at the Lavillants, one furious, the other terrified.

“Get back here,” Mr. Lavillant commanded. Rose ignored it.

“Rose,” Mrs. Lavillant called, pleaded. Rose ignored that too. She rummaged through the closet for their coats, thrusting Juleka’s at her. Juleka heard the scraping of chairs. Rose must have heard it too, because she quickly flung open the front door, pulling Juleka out with her and slamming it behind them.

Then she ran.

Rose bolted down the street, pulling Juleka behind her, turning corners, ducking through alleys. Juleka didn’t think Rose was paying attention to where they were going, simply focusing on getting away, away, away.

“Rose,” Juleka called. Rose just kept running. Juleka slowed down, but didn’t stop right away, not wanting to hurt her. “Rose!” Juleka called again. This time Rose looked back, terror and sorrow and guilt mixing in her face, falling in tears down her cheeks. Rose tripped and Juleka pulled them to a stop, hauling Rose into her arms, trying to gentle her sobs with hands on her back.

“W-we have to g-get away,” Rose panted, struggling against Juleka’s hold, trying to run again.

“Shh, Rose,” Juleka soothed. “They’re not following us. We’re okay. We got away.”

“We have- We have to-”

“It’s okay, Rose,” Juleka said firmly, holding Rose until she melted into her, sobbing into her shoulder. “We’re okay. I love you. I’m here. I can save you. We’re okay.

“It’s gonna be okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning: Rose accidentally comes out to her parents by calling Juleka her girlfriend and her father is very unaccepting, telling Rose that she is too young to be in love and accusing Juleka of corrupting Rose.
> 
> Has anyone ever written something and then gone, "oh, how could you?"  
> Because I now have...
> 
>  
> 
> Next: who needs school?


	25. Skip to My Lou

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juleka spends the day with Rose.

_Why didn’t you save us?_

Juleka woke up to hands on her body and for one terrible moment, she was certain that her nightmares had followed her into reality. She jolted upright, flailing wildly, desperate to escape, desperate to get away from the grasping fingers trying to tear her apart, trying to hold her down, trying to take, take, take-

“Juleka!” Rose cried. Juleka ground to a halt. That was not the hateful voice of Princess Fragrance. And those hands were not trying to tear her apart. It was Rose. Sweet Rose. Those hands were trying to soothe and that voice was afraid and there was no weight on her back. Juleka looked down to see Rose staring up at her with wide eyes, the weak morning light just bright enough to illuminate her bed head and the alarm on her features.

“Rose,” Juleka breathed, relaxing into her hold. Rose immediately let out a sigh of relief, offering up a tentative smile as she brushed Juleka’s bangs away from her face. Juleka let herself be held, focusing on Rose’s comforting hands and waiting for the adrenaline to fade from her system.

“Are you okay?” Rose asked softly, once Juleka’s breathing had finally slowed. Juleka nodded, pulling Rose with her when she flopped back against the pillows.

“I’m okay,” Juleka said, tension still bleeding out of her shoulders. “I’m sorry I scared you.”

“You were crying in your sleep,” Rose said doubtfully, shifting so that she was on her side, her concerned expression almost too close for Juleka to see properly. “That’s why I woke you up.”

“Just a nightmare,” Juleka said, raising a hand to brush at Rose’s wild hair. “I’ve had it before.”

“You’ve been having nightmares?” Rose asked. Juleka suppressed another sigh. She’d meant that information to _alleviate_ Rose’s worry, not make it increase, though she could see the flaw in that logic now. She nodded slowly and wished she could stop Rose’s eyebrows from furrowing. “What are they about?”

Juleka considered Rose carefully. Technically she could tell her everything in the dream. She wouldn’t be revealing any big secrets or anything. One could have dreams about superheroes without it being anything suspicious. But Rose didn’t need to hear that Juleka was having nightmares about _her_. About Princess Fragrance. Besides, Juleka knew that the dream wasn’t _really_ about her akumatized girlfriend. So instead of spilling everything like she really wanted to, Juleka said:

“Just akuma stuff.”

True.

“No big deal.”

False.

“Okay,” Rose said slowly, examining Juleka’s face. “If you wanna talk about it, I’m _great_ at dissecting dreams.” Rose grinned sleepily and Juleka couldn’t help but smile back. She leaned forward to plant a kiss on Rose’s forehead.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Juleka promised, shuffling back so that she could see Rose’s face again. Surprisingly (or perhaps not so surprisingly where Rose was concerned), she meant it. Telling Rose everything, just letting all of her problems and worries spill from her lips and into Rose’s ears so that she didn’t have carry so much around with her all the time, was a thought that was never far from her thoughts. But she couldn’t do that, so instead she pushed everything back down to be dealt with…eventually.

“What time is it?” Juleka asked, craning her head to look at the window and gauge the time by the light filtering through it. It couldn’t be all that late judging by the paleness, but she liked to know specifics.

“I don’t know,” Rose said. There was a note in her voice that made Juleka look at her more closely, a fragile edge that wasn’t normally there. But Rose was smiling normally enough when Juleka looked, so she dismissed it as her overactive mind trying to find something new to worry about.

“Can you check your phone?” Juleka asked. Rose shook her head slightly.

“I turned it off,” Rose said, her eyes trained on Juleka’s shoulder, tracing patterns into the bare skin there with the tip of her finger. Juleka looked around for _her_ phone, but didn’t see it anywhere in the cocoon of blankets she and Rose had made in her too-small bed.

“Where’d mine go?” Juleka muttered, more to herself than to Rose. How did she _always_ manage to lose her phone? She really needed to start plugging it in or somethi-

“I turned yours off too,” Rose said quietly. Juleka stopped look around, focusing on Rose. She didn’t look up, still focusing on whatever invisible illustration she was drawing on Juleka’s shoulder. “They kept calling.”

 _Oh_ , Juleka thought. The Lavillants. She guessed it was only natural to start calling their daughter’s girlfriend if their daughter wasn’t picking up after running away from home. They were probably frantic. They were probably scared out of their minds.

But so was Rose.

Juleka didn’t say a word, just pulled her close, hoping that that would be enough to calm the trembling she felt.

Time slipped by slowly, silence broken only by their soft breathing and an occasional sniffle from Rose. The light grew steadily brighter as the sun rose, but neither of them moved. There, in Juleka’s bed, with their arms wrapped around each other, it felt like they could stay still forever, safe and warm and happy. Juleka wasn’t in any particular hurry to break that feeling and let the world come rushing back. Let Rose’s pain trickle in. Rose didn’t seem very interested in getting up either, judging by the way she nestled into Juleka’s side like she was never going to leave.

But eventually, Rose stirred, snaking an arm out of their nest to stretch languidly. Juleka could feel Rose’s toes pointing against her shins. She also felt a draft of cold air sneak under the blanket. Juleka stuck out her own arm, grabbing Rose’s wrist and pulling it back under the blankets.

“Juleka,” Rose giggled, feebly pushing against Juleka’s shoulders. “We need to get up.”

“Why?” Juleka asked, keeping a firm hold on Rose’s wrist.

“We need to get ready for school,” Rose said, pulling halfheartedly against Juleka’s grip.

“No, we don’t,” Juleka said. She grinned suddenly. “We don’t even know what time it is.”

“We can’t just skip school, Juleka,” Rose said, giving up the fight for her wrist and relaxing back against the pillow. She pouted disapprovingly at Juleka.

“Why not?” Juleka asked, grinning at Rose again and pulling her hand up to her lips so that she could kiss the back of it.

“It’s against the rules,” Rose cried, fully awake now and thoroughly scandalized. But she didn’t take her hand away from where Juleka held it curled under her chin.

“What are they gonna do to us?” Juleka asked sardonically. “Call our parents?” Juleka immediately regretted asking it, worried that she had taken a step too far. _Her_ wounds had healed enough to poke at, but _Rose’s_ were fresh. Juleka watched apprehensively as Rose blinked at her. Then blinked again.

And then Rose burst out laughing.

“Th-they won’t be able to catch us,” Rose gasped between laughs. Juleka had to let go of Rose’s hand to avoid an accidental punch to her throat. “We can be renegades, Juleka. Outlaws! We could just never go to school again! Ha!”

“You want to be an outlaw?” Juleka asked, smiling hesitantly and wondering if this counted as hysterical laughter. She couldn’t help chuckling a little in the face of Rose’s infectious guffaws. They weren’t elegant by any means, but to Juleka they were adorable.

“I mean, _no_. But we could be,” Rose said, still giggling. “Good luck calling our parents, school! Juleka’s are off being boring in China and mine have rejected me, so good luck! Good luck…” As abruptly as it had come, all the mirth drained out of Rose and she deflated, the smile slipping from her face. It felt like the room grew a little darker in the absence of that smile.

“Rose-” Juleka said softly.

“I’m okay,” Rose said, too quick, too bright, like a flashlight shined without warning. “I’m okay. I’m sorry. That was- I’m fine.” Her gaze was focused back on Juleka’s shoulder and she was curling in on herself in a way that Juleka hated.

“You don’t have to be,” Juleka said. Rose looked up in surprise, her brow furrowed in confusion. “You don’t have to be okay.”

“I-” Rose started. For a long moment, she looked like she was still fighting to hold it together. She pressed her lips together as if to keep them from trembling. She blinked rapidly as if she could blink away the tears. She even held her breath as if keeping the carbon dioxide in her lungs would keep in all of the pain as well.

But her face still crumpled.

Juleka gathered her close again and let her sob into her shoulder the same way she had the night before standing in a dark alley. She ignored the tears soaking her skin and her tank top. She ignored her own heart breaking. She ignored the frustration of not being able to do anything to take this pain away. She knew better than anyone that nothing really could. Instead, she focused on the one thing she _could_ do and held Rose as tightly as she could without crushing her until the sobs slowed.

“I n-never really thought they’d have a problem,” Rose said once her tears came to a tentative stop. She pulled back to rub at her eyes, leaving them red and swollen. “Like I was really nervous about telling them, but I thought I was being silly.”

“It wouldn’t have been silly even if you hadn’t been proven right,” Juleka said, carefully wiping away the remains of Rose’s tears.

“Maybe,” Rose said. “But there just wasn’t any evidence that they’d take it badly, you know? Maman and Papa have never said _anything_ bad about LGBT+ people.”

“Your mother seemed supportive,” Juleka pointed out.

“Oh. Right. Maman was nice,” Rose said, brightening. A tiny smile tugged at her lips. “I forgot after…” Rose trailed off, her face darkening again. “But I can’t believe Papa. I knew he was a little uncomfortable with things that he thinks are different, but I’ve _never_ seen him act that way. Not with us. I’ve never seen him be such a- such a-” Rose’s face set in fierce determination. “An asshole.” Juleka surged up, propping herself on her elbow so that she could stare down at her girlfriend in wonder.

“Rose,” Juleka gasped dramatically. “You _cursed_.”

“I guess I did,” Rose giggled, her hands coming up to press against her cheeks. The giggles faded, giving way to ferocity again, so unfamiliar in her face. Juleka found it as beautiful as she found it unsettling. She wondered if that was bad. “He deserves it. I can’t believe he talked about you like that.”

“Maybe…maybe that's not what he meant,” Juleka said slowly, looking down at the sleeve of the old t-shirt Rose had borrowed, shifting to pick at the ragged hem.

“He said that you were _corrupting_ me, Juleka,” Rose said firmly.

Juleka knew that. She _got_ that. The words had already added themselves to Juleka’s growing archive of tragedies. But she also knew that Mr. Lavillant’s harshest words had been directed at _her_ for a reason. She remembered the look on Mr. Lavillant’s face when Rose first brought her home. She remembered how long it had taken him to smile and joke with her. She remembered little comments here and there, about her hair, her clothes, her behavior, little reminders that she didn’t belong, things that had stopped long before she and Rose started dating. Things she had thought were in the past.

“I think we both know that that was more about who _I_ am than how you identify,” Juleka said.

“That doesn’t make it okay!” Rose cried. She rolled over on her back, her arms wriggling out of the blankets so that she could gesture her frustration. Juleka had to lean back on her arm to avoid being smacked by an errant hand. “You’ve been at our house almost every day for _years_. I thought he’d gotten _over_ that. I thought…”

“Thought he’d let go of how different I am?” Juleka asked. Rose sighed, letting her arms plop down on top of the covers and looking up at her with sad eyes.

“I thought he’d let you in,” Rose said forlornly. Juleka stared down at Rose for a minute longer. Then she laid back down, her shoulder overlapping with Rose’s since there really wasn’t room for both of them to be flat in the narrow bed. She stared up at the ceiling. It was the only unadorned piece of her room. Maybe she’d paint constellations up there in the summer. It’d give her something to do while Rose was at ballet camp. It’d give her something to think about.

“I’m sorry,” Juleka said quietly, mapping out constellations rather than looking at Rose, even when she felt her gaze lock onto her face.

“You don’t have anything to apologize for, Juleka,” Rose said, her voice equal parts sorrow and indignation.

“If I just hadn’t come to game night-”

“Wait,” Rose said, taking her turn to prop herself up and stare down in disbelief. “Are you blaming yourself for this?”

“Rose, if I hadn’t pushed in where I don’t belong none of this would have happened,” Juleka said, avoiding Rose’s gaze. Rose was silent for a long moment. Then hands were pulling Juleka’s arms. Juleka finally looked up at Rose, bemusedly allowing herself to be pulled up to sitting as she registered the distress on her face. Once they were both up, Rose took Juleka’s face in her hands, forcing her to make eye contact. A stupid, masochistic part of Juleka remembered the last time they’d been sitting just like this, less than a day earlier, when Rose had told her that game night was going to go just fine.

“Oh, my sweet Juleka,” Rose breathed, stroking Juleka’s cheeks with her thumbs. “Don’t you ever think that was your fault.”

“Rose, I should have known better than to go. I _knew_ I was going to ruin everything,” Juleka said, wishing she could look away, hide behind her bangs, but she trapped between Rose’s hands. “And now your dad is angry and you’ve run away from home and it’s all my fault.”

“No, Juleka,” Rose said sadly, shaking her head emphatically so that a few errant strands waved wildly. “It was _my_ decision to tell my parents and it was _my_ decision to leave when my father started saying unacceptable things. It’s more _my_ fault than yours.”

“It’s not _your_ fault,” Juleka protested.

“You’re right,” Rose said with a firm nod. “It’s not my fault and it’s definitely not _your_ fault. It’s _his_ for daring to think that anything as beautiful and sweet as you could corrupt _anything_. Especially not by _loving_ it.” It was hard, but Juleka made herself listen. She let herself take in Rose’s earnest expression and the ferocity in her eyes, new perhaps, but not unwelcome. She allowed herself to accept without arguing, even if she could not believe yet.

“Okay,” Juleka said slowly, raising a hand to hold Rose’s wrist and ground herself in the touch. “Okay.”

“Okay,” Rose said, her stern face melting into a warm smile. She leaned forward and kissed Juleka, languid and loving. “Why don’t we get out of bed and get some breakfast before one of us starts sobbing again? We’ll need our strength if we’re going to be outlaws.” Juleka’s stomach chose that second to growl and they both laughed, dragging each other out of bed in search of food.

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

“Your room has changed a lot since I last saw it,” Rose said, her head in Juleka’s lap and her eyes on the walls. Juleka looked down at her in surprise, halting the movement of her fingers through her hair. Rose shifted her gaze away from the walls to pout up at Juleka until the movement continued. Then she went back to examining the walls.

“It has?” Juleka asked, trying to remember the last time Rose had been in her room. She forgot sometimes that Rose hardly spent any time at her apartment. She’d been there before, sure, but she didn’t normally stay for very long. Juleka’s goal was normally to get _out_ of her apartment, not to bring the best thing in her life into a space that always had her on edge. The dissatisfied buzz that dug under Juleka’s skin was muted with Rose there, but it never fully quieted. She hated feeling even the weakest echoes of it when Rose was around. When Rose was around, things were supposed to be _okay_.

However, lounging here with Rose, completely unafraid of being interrupted, was rather wonderful and Juleka almost wondered why she hadn’t suggested this before.

“Yup,” Rose said cheerfully. Juleka was glad to hear more of her normal brightness back in her voice. “The mural wasn’t finished the last time I was here.”

“But that was ages ago,” Juleka said, scratching her nails a little more firmly across Rose’s scalp. She _had_ to have been here since then…

“Then I haven’t been here in ages,” Rose giggled. She pressed up against Juleka’s fingers, humming with the feeling. “You always come over to my house, or…you _used_ to.” Juleka felt Rose deflate under her hands. She felt her heart sink with her.

“You won’t get rid of me that easy,” Juleka said, catching Rose’s chin and tilting it towards her so that she could steal a quick kiss. Rose smiled at her as she sat back. It wasn’t a big smile nor a particularly bright one, but Juleka took it as a win. “What else is different?”

“You have some different posters on this wall and the pictures from the photo shoot,” Rose said, immediately brightening as she shifted in Juleka’s lap so that she could carefully graze the glossy class photos pasted onto the wall where a Jagged Stone poster had once hung.

“Did I not tell you I put them up?” Juleka asked, also glancing over at the photos. Even now, months later, Juleka still felt a thrill run through her when she looked at them.

“No. I thought they’d ended up in a drawer or something,” Rose said, looking away from the photos to grin up at Juleka.

“Oh ye of little faith,” Juleka said drily. “I would have _at least_ turned them into an art project.”

“Oh! What would you have done with them?” Rose asked, fidgeting in Juleka’s lap in a way that said she would be bouncing if she weren’t laying down.

“Paper Mache,” Juleka said promptly, somehow managing to keep a straight face as Rose gasped and pressed a shocked hand to her chest.

“You would use your first unjinxed photos for Paper Mache?” Rose asked, trying and failing to pout.

“I’d shred and glue them without remorse,” Juleka assured her, unable to keep the smile from seeping across her face. Rose giggled, halfheartedly swatting Juleka’s leg. “No, I wouldn’t do that…photo paper wouldn’t dry right.” Rose laughed even harder, rolling in Juleka’s lap so that she had to stop combing through her hair or risk pulling out clumps.

“Don’t listen to her,” Rose giggled to the photos, patting the one of Juleka and the guys reassuringly. “You mean a lot to her, really.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Juleka said, shrugging nonchalantly despite the grin on her face. Rose grinned back at her, then rolled back onto her side and butted her head against Juleka’s hand insistently. Juleka returned to petting Rose’s hair while Rose returned to perusing her walls.

“The chalk wall is different too,” Rose said thoughtfully.

“Pretty sure it’s still chalk and paint,” Juleka said, smiling innocently when Rose turned to glare at her.

“No, the doodles are different,” Rose insisted when she turned back to the wall. Juleka looked up at the wall too and immediately felt her face heat up. She’d known that she’d drawn a lot of roses since she and Rose had gotten together. However, she hadn’t realized _just how many_. They stretched across her walls, twisting around her other doodles and thoughts, growing in every space. Most of them were small, budding in tiny gaps that had already existed, but some of them were bigger, requiring spaces to be cleared just so they could bloom. Juleka knew what most of them had stemmed from; the one nestled in a flurry of snowflakes in the corner was from their first date; the big one next to the window was their first kiss; and of course, there was the one giant rose that was taller than Juleka that she’d drawn when she found out Rose loved her back. They were _everywhere_.

“Last time you were in here, I still thought I had to keep it a secret,” Juleka said, looking at the garden her room had become rather than the girl who had inspired it. Her face had to be completely red if the heat was anything to go by.

“Keep what a secret?” Rose asked. Juleka looked down at her in surprise and met bewildered eyes. Juleka had thought that the flowers were pretty obvious, but Rose stayed confused.

“Loving you,” Juleka said. She felt Rose turn to look at the walls again, waited for it to click.

“Oh. _Oh_. The roses…” Rose gasped. She turned to look up at Juleka again and Juleka finally looked back. Rose was beaming up at her, her face lit up with delight. “They’re for _me_?” Rose asked, her voice almost reverent.

“I use the walls to get my thoughts out,” Juleka said with a shrug, moving her hand from Rose’s hair to her cheek. “You’re in my thoughts a lot.” Rose’s smile somehow grew even wider. She raised a hand to cover Juleka’s on her cheek, weaving her delicate fingers in amongst Juleka’s.

“So, the doodles are your thoughts?” Rose asked, turning her head back to the walls and taking Juleka’s hand with her. She toyed with her fingers as she looked over the chalk drawings.

“Most of them,” Juleka confirmed. She looked at the walls as well, trying to see what Rose was seeing in the doodles.

“There are a lot more than last time,” Rose said.

“It’s been almost two years,” Juleka said. “I’ve had a lot of thoughts since then.”

“I know that,” Rose giggled, giving Juleka a hard poke in retribution. Juleka only chuckled. “But it’s more crowded towards the right end than the left.”

“What do you mean?” Juleka asked, tilting her head at the walls. It all seemed equally and distressingly crowded to her eyes.

“The doodles at the beginning are all bigger, like you weren’t worried about running out of room,” Rose said, pointing to the drawings she was referring to. They were some of the first chalk drawings Juleka had put up, their lines faded, but carefully untouched. “The doodles get smaller as the wall goes on, but right about there,” Rose jabbed her finger at a spot just to the left of the giant rose, “the doodles start getting _really_ small and cramped and there’s more fuzziness, like you’ve erased more chalk there than on the rest. Like you started getting really worried about running out of room. Or like you suddenly started doodling a lot more.”

Looking at it through Rose’s eyes, it became obvious, clear as day. There was a distinct line where Juleka’s doodling style changed. It didn’t take a genius to figure out why. The line denoted the time when Juleka’s life began to change. When she had to start turning to chalk to unload all of the things she couldn’t say, all of the emotions she couldn’t deal with. The end of the wall, where Juleka had finally run out of space, was almost solid chalk, roses and worries mingling in tiny, precise lines. Then the effect echoed back across the rest of the wall when Juleka had gone in search of new spaces amongst the looser, freer doodles of simpler times passed.

“Looks like you’ve had a lot to think about recently.” Juleka jumped, startled to hear her thoughts spoken in Rose’s soft voice. She looked down to find Rose still looking at the wall, still playing with Juleka’s hand almost absentmindedly.

“Yeah,” Juleka said, doing her best to _not_ think about all of the things that had been cluttering her mind for so long.

“You know you can talk to me about it, right?” Rose asked, finally turning away from the wall to look up at Juleka, her expression concerned, her fingers gentle on Juleka’s hand.

“Of course,” Juleka said. She wished that was true, she wished, she wished…

“It’s just that the last few weeks, even before Christmas break, you’ve seemed kind of…strung out? I guess? Like you’re carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders,” Rose said, her voice hesitant and unsure. “And with everything that’s happened, your parents, _my_ parents, and now you’re having _nightmares_ , I just…I want you to know that if you need help, I’m here. I’m here for you.” Juleka smiled down at Rose as best she could with longing and regret ripping through her.

“I thought we were supposed to be cheering _you_ up,” Juleka said softly. Rose frowned a little, recognizing it for the deflection it was.

“Juleka…”

“I’m okay, Rose,” Juleka said, flipping her hand in Rose’s so that she could squeeze it reassuringly. “I’ve had a lot going on, but I’m fine.”

“You don’t have to be,” Rose said. Juleka wanted to deny it, say that she had to be strong for everyone around her. But she couldn’t contradict her own words.

“I know,” Juleka said, leaning back against the wall so that she didn’t have to look at Rose anymore. She heard her sigh.

“Do you mind if I look at your doodles?” Rose asked. Juleka looked back down in her at surprise. “You said they were your thoughts, so I thought you might want to keep them private.”

“Be a little silly to put private things all over my walls, wouldn’t it?” Juleka asked with a smile to soften her sarcasm. Rose smiled back, sitting up from Juleka’s lap with a shake of her head.

“I was just making sure. It’s not like you have people in here all the time,” Rose said, bumping her shoulder against Juleka’s before slipping off of the bed to examine the doodles more closely. Juleka, feeling lonely on her bed now, followed her. She draped herself across Rose’s back, putting her chin on her head. Rose giggled a little, reaching up to pat Juleka’s head before returning her attention to the wall. She’d chosen a more recent spot squished into the corner. It was a little nerve racking watching Rose look over the drawings so intently now that they were up close and she could see each one clearly. With her chin propped on Rose’s head, she was looking at the same section Rose was and it became clear pretty soon why Rose had chosen this spot to look at first.

“You drew this after our date didn’t you?” Rose asked, pointing to the rose surrounded by snowflakes. Juleka sighed and Rose giggled.

“You cracked my top secret code,” Juleka said drily. Rose giggled again, her fingers hovering over the flower, then moving to the mini akuma snarling at it.

“How did you even draw it this small?” Rose asked, bending forward to look at Frosty more closely, then giggling when Juleka grumbled in protest.

“Practice,” Juleka said with a shrug.

“Stop moving, that feels weird,” Rose giggled, gently elbowing Juleka in the ribs.

“You stop moving,” Juleka said.

“I can feel you smiling,” Rose accused, her own smile evident in her voice.

“Aren’t you supposed to be dissecting my thoughts?” Juleka asked, wiggling her chin against Rose’s head. Rose giggled again, but returned to looking over the doodles.

“From Christmas?” Rose asked, pointing at the Christmas tree and presents. Juleka nodded, careful to not dig her chin into Rose’s head too much. “I can see from the position of the rose and the tree that you enjoyed it,” Rose said, her voice pitched low and officious. Juleka snorted, poking Rose’s cheek.

“I already told you I liked it,” Juleka said.

“Hush, I’m psycho-analyzing,” Rose giggled. She cleared her throat and straightened, forcing Juleka to straighten a little as well. Her finger moved on to the next doodle, preparing to analyze its meaning.

And came to hover over an unfinished doodle of Wayzz.

A doodle that Juleka had stupidly been working on, just to get it out, when two dumb superheroes had tumbled into her room. A doodle that she’d promptly forgotten about, whether to finish or erase.

“This shows that…what is this?” Rose asked, her officious voice petering out into bewilderment.

“It’s, um. Just a stuffed animal I saw at the store the other day,” Juleka said, trying for careless nonchalance and completely uncertain of whether or not she hit the mark.

“Oh. Well.” Rose cleared her throat, dropping back into her stuffy professor voice, completely unaware of the crisis happening in Juleka’s head. “This drawing of a stuffed animal you saw at the store the other day shows a longing for your youth. Its unfinished state shows a conflict in you that you don’t know how to resolve. And it kind of looks like an alien which speaks to how _alienated_ you feel, like it separates you from other people.”

Juleka was glad that Rose couldn’t see her face, because it surely would have given her away in a heartbeat. She was certain that it showed just how unsettled she was, the unease crawling up her spine at a joke that was settling way too close to home. It would have made Rose ask questions that Juleka couldn’t answer, couldn’t talk about, could barely _think_ about, it-

“How did I do?” Rose giggled, bouncing on her toes just a little, just enough for Juleka to feel. She was waiting for Juleka to laugh, to say something sarcastic and amused, to shrug off the _obviously inaccurate_ analysis she had given of a _stuffed animal_.

“Did you-” Juleka started. She was horrified to hear the croak in her closed up throat. She cleared it and began again, praying that Rose wouldn’t catch it. “Did you put a _pun_ in your psycho-analysis?”

“Yep,” Rose said cheerfully. Then she seemed to pause, her finger still hovering over the illustration. Juleka paused too, praying that Rose would lose interest, praying that she would move on. “Juleka, what-”

Rose jumped, painfully cracking Juleka’s chin, when a loud knock rang out. It was muffled by Juleka’s bedroom door, but it was clear nonetheless. Someone was at the front door. Rose spun to look up at Juleka, panic widening her eyes.

“Juleka,” Rose said, panic shaking her voice. Juleka put her hands on her shoulders, squeezing comfortingly.

“It might not be them, Rose,” Juleka said gently.

“Who else would be here?” Rose asked, panic twisting her hands. Juleka slid her hands down Rose’s arms, prying her fingers apart and squeezing them.

“I don’t know,” Juleka admitted, because Rose was the only person who regularly showed up at her front door. “But I don’t have to answer. We can wait for whoever it is to go away.”

“I-” Rose started. Another knock came and Rose’s jaw snapped shut. She looked at Juleka’s bedroom door like an akuma was going to burst in. Or her father.

“I’m not going to answer it,” Juleka said decisively, turning to get back in bed where it was safe and warm.

“No,” Rose said, resisting Juleka’s pull. Juleka looked back at her in surprise. Rose was still looking at the door with terror in her eyes, but there was a hint of that fierce determination there too, in the set of her jaw and the press of her lips. “I- I can’t avoid them forever.”

“That doesn’t mean you have to deal with them now,” Juleka said, stepping back into Rose’s space.

“I’ve had all day to recover,” Rose said, tearing her gaze away from the door to smile up at Juleka. “Answer it? Please?” Juleka hesitated for an instant, torn between her ever-present desire to give Rose what she wanted and her pressing need to keep Rose safe. Juleka stepped away from her eventually, holding her gaze to make sure that this was what she really wanted. A third knock sounded, louder and insistent, at the same time that Rose nodded confirmation.

“Stay here?” Juleka requested. Rose nodded again, her fear locked behind a brave face.

Juleka went to the front door ready for battle. She was braced for anger, accusation, harsh words, or at the very least desperation. She swung open the door ready to defend.

“Adrien? Marinette?” Juleka blurted, surprise bringing her up short when she came face to face with her two best friends, both of whom normally came via window. They looked equally taken back. Marinette still had her fist raised to knock again. “What are you doing here?”

“Um,” Marinette said, exchanging a glance with Adrien. “You and Rose weren’t at school this morning and you weren’t answering your phone.”

“We wanted to make sure you were okay,” Adrien said, his face a little embarrassed and a little concerned.

“Oh,” Juleka said, surprised all over again. “I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” Marinette asked skeptically. “You looked like you were going to kill us when we opened the door.”

“I told you not to knock so many times, Bugaboo,” Adrien said with a smug grin. Marinette glared at him.

“No, it’s not that. I just thought you were going to be someone else,” Juleka said.

“Who are you _that_ angry at?” Adrien asked, his grin falling away.

“Whoever they are, I pity them,” Marinette said, shaking her head slowly, as if she was already witnessing their funeral.

“'Did I really look that scary?” Juleka asked. Adrien and Marinette both snorted.

“If looks could kill, we’d be dead right now,” Marinette said emphatically, executing a dramatic shudder to prove her point. “Or maybe just frozen as statues for all eternity.”

“Ooo like that one monster from Greek mythology? With the snake hair and the petrifying gaze?” Adrien asked, turning to Marinette with an excited smile.

“Yeah! I love Greek mythology,” Marinette said, smiling back.

“Me too! Do you-”

“Guys,” Juleka interrupted. Adrien and Marinette snapped back to the matter at hand, both looking sheepish.

“Right. Sorry,” Marinette said, red seeping into her cheeks. She shot a quick glance at Adrien, before focusing on Juleka. “So, you’re really okay?”

“Yes,” Juleka said firmly. Adrien and Marinette nodded in relief, both of them relaxing a little.

“Do you guys want to hang out?” Adrien asked hopefully, looking from Juleka to Marinette and back. “I mean, since we’re already here. And I don’t have anything for once.”

“That sounds fun,” Marinette said, grinning widely at Adrien, the blush still evident on her cheeks. “I’m down if you are, Jules.”

“Actually, Rose is here,” Juleka said, gesturing over her shoulder in the direction of her bedroom.

“Kind of figured when both of you were gone,” Marinette said with a hint of a smirk.

“She can hang out too,” Adrien suggested, his face so earnest and optimistic that Juleka just kind of wanted to hug him until he felt loved. She hadn’t gotten to see him as much as the others over the break due to his modeling schedule. But Rose…

“She’s not really feeling up it right now,” Juleka said regretfully. “Another time-”

“It’s okay, Juleka,” Rose said. Juleka looked over her shoulder to see Rose hovering in the doorway of her room, a hesitant smile playing across her face. “I don’t mind the company.”

“Are you sure?” Juleka asked. Rose nodded, her smile growing more certain. Juleka moved aside and waved Adrien and Marinette in.

“Hey, Marinette. Hey, Adrien,” Rose said cheerfully, waving at them.

“Hey, Rose,” Adrien and Marinette said in unison. They looked at each other, then away, shy smiles and blushes spreading across their faces as they took off their coats. Juleka and Rose exchanged a glance. Rose looked ecstatic, her hands curling under her chin. Juleka was more exasperated than anything.

“How was school?” Juleka asked over her shoulder, snagging Rose’s hand as she passed on her way into her room. “Did we miss anything exciting?”

“Just an akuma,” Marinette said with a shrug, following them into the bedroom.

“An akuma?” Rose squeaked. She froze, looking up at Juleka with wide eyes. “Who was it?”

“Called themselves ‘the Grader,’” Adrien said. “It was a pretty cool akuma, surprisingly-”

“No, who was the _victim_ ,” Rose interrupted, clutching Juleka’s hand so tightly it hurt.

“Ms. Mendeleiev,” Adrien said in surprise, exchanging a bewildered glance with Marinette, who was still hovering by the bedroom door, having just closed it behind them.

“It wasn’t them,” Rose murmured, relaxing against Juleka and allowing herself to be pulled onto the bed and tucked under her arm. Juleka looked up to find Adrien and Marinette watching them in complete and utter bafflement and just a touch of concern.

“Trust Ms. Mendeleiev to make a good akuma,” Juleka said, shaking her head slightly at Adrien and Marinette. They took the hint.

“She had a little bit of evil in her already,” Adrien said, admirably recovering his previous enthusiasm as he took a seat on the couch. “She was passing out failing grades that made people disappear. Burst right into Ms. Bustier’s class third period.”

“That sounds scary,” Rose said, leaning into Juleka’s side.

“It wasn’t that bad,” Marinette assured her. She was having a bit of a dilemma choosing between the bed and the couch. It seemed to be causing her a great deal of distress, though Juleka couldn’t fathom _why_. She ultimately surprised absolutely no one by taking the seat on the couch with Adrien. Then she sat bolt upright, glaring accusingly at Juleka. “We were more worried about _you_.”

“I’m sorry about that,” Juleka said, toying with a strand of Rose’s hair. “I didn’t realize I was worrying you.”

“It’s alright. We know you’re okay now,” Adrien said, waving the matter away with one hand.

“I guess you get off this time,” Marinette sighed, relaxing back against the couch with a teasing smile. “Just don’t make us think you’ve been kidnapped again, alright?”

“Cross my heart,” Juleka said, making an x over her chest with one finger. Rose giggled, poking Juleka’s side.

“So, why’d you guys skip school?” Adrien asked. It was an innocent question. It probably seemed like they’d just stayed home to spend the day together. However, Juleka felt Rose stiffen next to her. Juleka opened her mouth to sidestep the question, to say something light and half-true, maybe a little humorous, something that would make Rose melt against her and cause Adrien and Marinette to smile and scold her for worrying them over nothing.

“I accidentally came out last night and my father said that we were too young to be in love and that Juleka corrupted me,” Rose blurted. All eyes in the room snapped to her.

“Oh my god,” Marinette said, her eyes widening dramatically. “Are you okay?”

“Juleka’s been helping,” Rose said, turning to give Juleka a warm smile. She seemed calm, leaning against Juleka’s side, smiling up at her. Almost _too_ calm, like she was talking about a trip to the grocery store instead of the traumatic events that had taken place. “And my mom seemed supportive before we ran.”

“You ran? Like away from home?” Adrien asked, his eyes as wide as Marinette’s.

“Kind of?” Rose said, exchanging a glance with Juleka, who shrugged her shoulders.

“Kind of?” Marinette echoed, looking back and forth from Juleka to Rose.

“That’s why our phones are off,” Rose said cheerfully. She looked almost amused now, like she was having fun shocking two secret superheroes speechless. Juleka knew that she was kind of having fun.

“Wait, how did you _accidentally_ come out?” Adrien asked, holding up a hand like he was waiting to be called on.

“My little brother wanted to get a Monopoly property for his girlfriend and I told him I would only trade it for mine,” Rose said, letting out an actual giggle when both Adrien’s and Marinette’s jaws dropped.

“You came out by trading a card for your girlfriend?” Adrien asked, looking dazed but also slightly impressed.

“Your little brother is allowed to have a girlfriend, but not you?” Marinette demanded at the same time.

“He didn’t actually say she wasn’t allowed to have a girlfriend,” Juleka pointed out.

“It was kind of implied,” Rose muttered. Then she sighed, shooting Juleka an apologetic look. “Sorry, I guess you have a point. But it is true that Lucas’s relationship wasn’t a big deal even though he says that they’re _engaged_ , but ours was.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Marinette said, crossing her arms.

“Yes,” Rose said firmly.

“That really sucks, Rose,” Adrien said gently, his face sad and sympathetic. Juleka felt the outrage drain out of Rose, leaving her limp and small against her side.

“Yeah,” Rose said, her eyes downcast. There was a beat of silence as the sorrow fell over the room.

“You know what?” Marinette asked, pushing herself up off the couch and stomping to the center of the room where she stood in her best Ladybug pose. “I hereby declare that my parents are now all of your parents. Since nobody else’s parents seem to be able to get it together.”

“My mother was okay,” Rose protested.

“Okay, you can keep your mother,” Marinette said, waving her hand graciously. “But you have _my_ parents now too. You too, Juleka. Maman already gave you a standing invitation to our house. And Adrien, they’ve been trying to get me to ask you to dinner again for ages.”

“Again?” Juleka asked.

“Again?” Rose asked.

“Again?” Adrien asked. “They want me to come again?”

“Of course!” Marinette said, waving her arms as if anything else would be absurd. “My parents _love_ you. And they love you too, Juleka. And I’m sure they would love you, Rose. Papa remembered you from when he came to school for Career Day.”

“He remembered _me_?” Rose squeaked. She glanced around at everyone, looking extremely confused. “Why were you even talking about me?” Marinette grinned at Juleka and Rose and Adrien followed her gaze to stare as well.

“I was telling them about our date,” Juleka muttered, hiding her blush behind her bangs.

“Really?” Rose asked, her voice all bright and pleased. Juleka peered through her bangs at the blush spreading across her cheeks. She nodded.

“See? You just all need to come live with us,” Marinette said decisively.

“There isn’t exactly enough room for four teenagers in your house,” Adrien pointed out, even though he was grinning from ear to ear, looking up at Marinette like she’d given him the moon and tossed in some stars for good measure.

“I’ve got a big room. It’ll be fine,” Marinette said, waving a hand dismissively. Rose outright laughed, sounding completely carefree for the first time that day. Juleka felt her chest loosen, warming straight through at the sound. She smiled up at Marinette and Adrien, extremely glad that she’d let them in, that they’d put that smile on Rose’s face.

“I call the bed,” Juleka said straight-faced, drawing laughs from everyone.

 

They were still laughing when a knock came at the door.

 

Everyone immediately fell silent, four pairs of eyes all looking towards the sound.

“Juleka,” Rose said quietly, her hand twisting into Juleka’s shirt.

“I’ve got it,” Juleka said, giving her a quick squeeze before she slid off the bed.

“When you opened the door earlier, you were expecting us to be Rose’s parents, weren’t you?” Adrien asked as Juleka crossed to the door. Juleka paused with her hand on the nob. She nodded, watched their faces go grim. Whoever was outside now knocked again, the sound loud and fast, almost frantic.

“I’ll be right back,” Juleka said, opening the door, then closing it behind her, catching one last glimpse of Rose’s terrified face before it shut. She took a deep breath, then went to answer the front door. Juleka opened it braced for battle, anger, desperation, ready to defend.

The first thing Juleka thought when she opened the door was that they must have already won, because the Lavillants looked defeated.

They looked tired and worn, with bags under their eyes and hunched shoulders, faces devoid of hope.

“Juleka,” Mrs. Lavillant breathed, her voice heavy with relief. She moved forward a little, almost reflexively, as if her first impulse when seeing Juleka was to go in for a hug. Juleka saw the moment Mrs. Lavillant stopped herself. She saw a bit of light leave her eyes as she realized that she might not be allowed to do that anymore. Mr. Lavillant didn’t say anything, didn’t move, his gaze fixed on the floor.

“Hello,” Juleka said. She was a little taken aback by the ice in her own voice, but not enough to change it, not enough to move from her place blocking the doorway. Stretched to her full height, her back straight and her chin up, Juleka was the same height as the Lavillants. With them curled in on themselves like they were, she was taller. She saw Mrs. Lavillant flinch minutely at the cold greeting, but Rose’s sobs were too vivid in her memory to care.

“Is Rose here?” Mrs. Lavillant asked. Juleka considered her, examined the desperate look on her face and the sorrow deepening her wrinkles. She looked strange without a smile on her face. Juleka hesitated for a moment before nodding. Mrs. Lavillant let out a sob, her hands flying to her chest as her face flooded with relief.

“May we see her?” Mrs. Lavillant asked tentatively, tears running down her cheeks now. Juleka considered her for another long moment. “Please, we just want to see that she’s safe. And apologize for our behavior last night.” With her last sentence, Mrs. Lavillant glanced back at her husband, the look on her face eerily similar to the rage Rose had shown the night before and just as unfamiliar.

“I’ll ask her if she’s willing to see you,” Juleka said eventually. “Please wait here.” Juleka waited for Mrs. Lavillant to nod before she closed the door. Mr. Lavillant still hadn’t moved. She gave herself a moment, sucking in a deep breath and letting it out, before she went back to her room. Back to Rose.

“Juleka,” Rose breathed when Juleka opened the door, spinning to face her from the center of the room, her eyes wide, her shoulders high. Marinette and Adrien turned to face her too, wearing identical concerned expressions.

“Your parents are outside,” Juleka said softly. “They want to see you and apologize.” Fear flickered across Rose’s face, accompanied by uncertainty and anger and sorrow. She took a deep breath, hugging herself as she tried to bring everything under control. Juleka stepped up to her, putting her hands on her shoulders. “You don’t have to see them.”

“I know,” Rose said, her face smoothing into a determined mask, her shoulders setting. Juleka could still feel her trembling. “I want to talk to them.”

“Okay,” Juleka said, squeezing her shoulders. “Want me there?” Rose looked up at her, her wide eyes betraying the fear she still felt.

“Please?” she asked, her voice small.

“Of course,” Juleka said.

“Um,” Marinette said, drawing their gazes. Adrien and Marinette stood off to the side looking worried and also very, very awkward. “Should we go or…”

“I really don’t know if it would be more awkward for you to walk out now or stay in here,” Juleka said frankly. Adrien and Marinette exchanged wry smiles, silent communication passing between them in a way that betrayed their deep partnership. Adrien raised an eyebrow and Marinette nodded.

“We’ll stay,” Adrien said, looking back at Juleka and Rose. “Just in case you need us.” Juleka heard a sniffle and then Rose wrenched away from her suddenly, throwing her arms around both Adrien and Marinette.

“I know you guys didn’t expect this when you came here,” Rose said, her voice sounding watery. “But thank you.”

“Any time, Rose,” Marinette said, hugging her back.

“What she said,” Adrien said. Rose disengaged from them, giving them one last smile before turning to the bedroom door, her face set. She stepped forward and took Juleka’s hand.

“Let’s do this,” Rose said. Juleka could feel her hand trembling.

The Lavillants were exactly as Juleka had left them, Mrs. Lavillant standing with her hands over her chest, Mr. Lavillant focused on the floor, and several feet of space between them. As soon as Juleka opened the door, Mrs. Lavillant’s eyes snapped to Rose and she burst into tears. Again.

“Rose,” Mrs. Lavillant gasped. Mr. Lavillant finally moved at that, his head flying up and his eyes focusing on Rose. His face was unreadable and Juleka hated it. She didn’t know what to expect from him, couldn’t predict what he’d do. “Oh, _sweetheart_ , I’m so glad you’re okay.” She looked like she wanted to hug Rose so badly, but didn’t dare to cross that boundary.

“Oh, Maman,” Rose said, her fierce mask dissolving into tears to match her mother’s. She opened her arms and Mrs. Lavillant rushed forward, sweeping her daughter up.

“I’m so sorry, dear,” Mrs. Lavillant said as she held Rose tight. “I’m so, so sorry.”

“Maman, I was never running away from _you_. You didn’t do anything,” Rose said, the steel in her voice as clear as day, the implication of her words even clearer. Juleka looked over at Mr. Lavillant, who still stood out in the hall, staring at his wife and daughter, his hands still clenched, his face still unreadable.

“I’m still sorry,” Mrs. Lavillant said, pulling away from Rose and taking her face in her hands, examining it. “Are you okay?”

“I’m alright,” Rose said, patting her mother’s hand.

“Your eyes are red,” Mrs. Lavillant tutted.

“So are yours,” Rose said. Mrs. Lavillant blinked at the response. Then she smiled sadly, patting Rose’s cheek.

“I think you’ve gone and grown up on me, sweetheart,” Mrs. Lavillant said. She examined Rose’s face for a moment longer. Then she stepped away, her arms crossing over her chest as she turned to look at her husband. Mr. Lavillant looked away as soon as they made eye contact.

“Serge,” Mrs. Lavillant said firmly, almost warningly. Mr. Lavillant let out a deep, bone weary sigh. Then he looked up again, focusing on his daughter.

“I’m sorry too, Rose,” Mr. Lavillant said, his voice hoarse and empty. “I honestly didn’t mean to make you think we-” Mrs. Lavillant cleared her throat. “ _I_ didn’t accept your- your sexuality. That’s not what I meant when I said…what I said.”

“You mean when you said that Juleka corrupted me?” Rose asked, her voice flat and her face closed off. Something flickered across Mr. Lavillant’s face before he sighed and nodded.

“Yes,” Mr. Lavillant said. He glanced at Mrs. Lavillant before continuing. “That was an unacceptable thing to say. I didn’t mean it. I was just…surprised.” Juleka withheld her snort, but just barely. She looked down in surprise when Rose did it for her. Mr. Lavillant’s hands clenched again. “I still think that you’re too young to be in love.”

“Serge,” Mrs. Lavillant said sharply, looking outraged and a little exasperated.

“I’m not going to lie,” Mr. Lavillant snapped back. Then he sighed, visibly getting himself back under control. “I still think that, but I will also respect your decisions. It’s obvious that- that Juleka makes you happy. So, I’m sorry.” Mr. Lavillant looked down at the floor again, his whole body slumping. “I’m so sorry, Rose.” Rose considered him for a long moment, silence growing heavy between them as she watched him impassively. There was no trace of her fear now.

“I’m not the one you need to apologize to,” Rose said finally. Mr. Lavillant lifted his head and Rose nodded at Juleka. Juleka’s instinct was to protest, say that she didn’t need an apology. She swallowed the impulse, because this was for more than just _her_. This was something Mr. Lavillant needed to face. He looked over at her, his mouth tightening. Juleka braced for something nasty or biting, or maybe just reluctant.

“I’m sorry, Juleka,” Mr. Lavillant said, his voice devoid of emotion and his face resigned. It wasn’t the most sincere apology ever, but Juleka was surprised that it wasn’t pried out past his teeth. She counted it as a win. Juleka nodded her acceptance and Mr. Lavillant let out a breath.

“Rose, sweetheart,” Mrs. Lavillant said carefully. “Do you think you could come home now?” Rose glanced at Juleka, uncertainty playing over her face for the first time since they’d opened the door. Juleka nodded.

“Sure, Maman,” Rose said. Tension drained out of both Lavillants and Mrs. Lavillant smiled, her whole face brightening. “Give me a minute and then we can go.” Mrs. Lavillant nodded and stepped out into the hallway, still keeping a couple feet of distance between herself and her husband.

“You okay?” Juleka asked quietly as Rose stepped into her space.

“Yeah,” Rose said, wiping her eyes quickly before leaning up and pulling Juleka into a hug. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Juleka whispered, glancing up to see the Lavillants watching them. Mrs. Lavillant had a fond, almost wistful look on her face. Mr. Lavillant still just looked resigned. Juleka supposed that that was the best they’d get from him for now. Rose pulled back and Juleka let her go, albeit a tad reluctantly.

“I’ll see you at school tomorrow?” Rose asked.

“Unless I decide to become an outlaw,” Juleka said with a sly smile. Rose giggled back. Then she hesitated, her eyes flicking over to her parents. Her face set in that determination again. She leaned up again and pressed a quick kiss against Juleka’s lips.

“I think I’d rather you be at school with me,” Rose said quietly, smiling at her softly. “Later, Juleka.”

“Later, Rose,” Juleka said, watching Rose walk out into the hallway and join her parents. She expected them to leave then, but Mrs. Lavillant paused, her eyes on Juleka.

“Thank you, Juleka,” Mrs. Lavillant said, a slight smile on her face that looked much more natural than her earlier desperation. “Thank you for taking care of her.” Juleka nodded and then the Lavillants were gone.

Juleka shut the door feeling like she was coming home from war. She slumped back against it, letting the tension of that nightmare of a conversation drain away. Rose was safe. Her parents had apologized and they were more or less okay with their relationship. It would take a while for the wounds to heal on all sides, and for the trust to be built up again, but everything was going to be okay. She had to believe that now. Juleka dragged herself upright and shuffled back to her room, resolving to start believing it tomorrow. Tonight, she just wanted to go to bed and-

“How’d it go?” Adrien asked, he and Marinette rising off the couch as soon Juleka opened the door. Juleka suppressed a groan. She’d forgotten about them.

“It was…okay,” Juleka said. “They both apologized. Rose went home with them. She’ll be at school tomorrow.”

“Good,” Marinette said, relief melting across her face. “I was afraid that I was going to have to beat her father up.”

“Ladybug gets to keep her reputation then,” Adrien said, grinning down at Marinette.

“Oh, I wasn’t going to do it as Ladybug. He was going to get a beating Dupain-Cheng style,” Marinette said smugly, throwing a punch at a pretend target. “Besides, I still have to beat up Juleka’s parents. And your dad.” Adrien’s smile widened, his heart in his eyes as he watched Marinette pretend to beat up an imaginary negligent father.

“Good luck with that,” Juleka sighed, walking past the strange courtship happening in the middle of her room and collapsing face-first on her bed.

“You okay, Jules?” Adrien asked. Juleka felt her bed dip beneath the weight of two bodies.

“I’m okay,” Juleka said, sighing again. It was slightly harder to do smushed into her bed, but she managed.

“Yeah, ‘cus you totally sound okay,” a higher, more sarcastic, more cheese-loving voice said.

“Be nice, Plagg. She’s been through a lot recently,” an even higher, much nicer voice said.

“Tikki’s right. You’ve been through a lot, Jules,” Marinette said. “You know you can turn to us for help, right? You don’t have to be okay.” Juleka sighed again, wishing that her words would stop coming back to haunt her. Wishing that she believed them. She pushed herself up, looking around at all of her friends, human and kwami alike.

“Can you help me get some ice cream?” Juleka asked at last.

“Yes, Jules,” Adrien said, smiling at her fondly. “Yes, we can.”

 

Tomorrow, Juleka decided. She’d go back to being okay tomorrow.

 

“Can I have camembert on mine?”

“No, Plagg.”

“Plagg- no, stop throwing the ice cream. _Plagg_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays, folks.
> 
>  
> 
> Next: when in doubt, Fu it out


	26. Helping Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juleka goes to visit Master Fu.

Juleka woke up crying.

She gritted her teeth, wiped away the tears, and got out of bed. She could almost feel a weight on her back, the remnants of her dream clinging to consciousness. She ignored it. She was okay. Life went on.

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“What are your plans for lunch?” Juleka asked, turning to Rose as she slipped her tablet back into her bag. The classroom was a sea of sound, benches clattering, feet hitting the ground, students chatting as they put away their class materials. Ms. Bustier stood at the front of the room looking defeated, but she didn’t try to recapture her students’ attention. No force on Earth would get them focusing after the lunch bell rang.

“Maman wants me to come home,” Rose sighed, pausing her packing in order to pout. “I think she’s afraid that if I don’t come back for every meal, I’ll never return.”

“She loves you a lot,” Juleka said, doing her best to look sympathetic. She knew intellectually that it was probably annoying to be on informal lockdown, but…she didn’t think her parents had ever cared when she disappeared. She didn’t think they’d ever noticed.

“I know,” Rose sighed again. She closed her bag slowly.

“You’ll have a great time,” Juleka said, closing her own bag and rising to her feet. She grabbed Rose’s hand and pulled her up too. Rose reluctantly stood, but continued to look like she was going home to a firing squad rather than the cutest little brother in the world, a loving mother, and a father who wasn’t completely awful most of the time. Juleka poked her cheek. Rose’s lips twitched, but she resolutely continued to pout. Juleka slung her bag over her shoulder and used her index fingers to drag up the corners of her mouth. Rose finally giggled at that, swatting Juleka’s hands away.

“There it is,” Juleka said triumphantly. “I’ll see you after lunch.” Juleka turned to walk towards the aisle, satisfied in a job well done.

“Or,” Rose said quickly. Juleka stopped and turned back, catching sight of Rose’s conflicted expression. It cleared once Juleka looked at her, morphing into a determination that was becoming more and more common these days. “You could come to lunch with me.”

“Rose…” Juleka said, her chest tightening.

“Maman’s been saying that I should invite you back since…” Rose trailed off, her eyes flicking down as they always did when that night came up. She looked up again with the determination back in place as if it had never slipped. “Since we left.” Rose paused and smiled, the expression tentative and hopeful and amused. “I think she just wants to embarrass us, honestly.” Juleka’s chest only tightened more as she looked at that smile.

“What has your father been saying?” Juleka asked gently. She hated the way that Rose’s face fell, the way all of that hope drained out of her smile.

“He doesn’t say anything,” Rose said, her voice sad, with an almost-bitter edge. She perked up again quickly, but Juleka still hated herself a little for making her sound that way. “But he’s not being snippy like he was when you first started coming around. And anyways Maman really wants you there. And Lucas! Lucas misses you a lot.”

“Rose, I-” Juleka stopped and sighed, wishing more than anything that this was as simple as Lucas missing her. “I’ll come back someday. Right now, I just don’t- I don’t feel like I belong there anymore.” Juleka looked up at Rose through her bangs, willing her to understand.

“Yeah, I get it,” Rose said, deflating again. “Sometimes I feel like home is different too…” Juleka felt her chest tighten all over again. She knew way too much about losing home as a place of refuge. That wasn’t something she’d ever wanted Rose to understand.

“I’m sorry, Rose,” Juleka said quietly, reaching out to squeeze her hand.

“It’s okay,” Rose said, smiling a sad little smile that made Juleka want to wrap her in blankets and feed her ice cream until it went away. “Could…do you think we could go to your place for lunch tomorrow?”

“What?” Juleka blurted, blanket plans abruptly fizzling out.

“We don’t have to,” Rose rushed to say, her free hand flying up in front her and red flaring up in her cheeks. “I know you don’t like it there very much, we could just- it’s just that it feels like _you_ so _I_ like it there and I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable or anything, but that’s ridiculous because here I am asking you to spend more time in a place you _hate_ , oh goodness, I’m so sorry, forget I said anything, we can just-”

“Rose,” Juleka interrupted with another squeeze of her hand. “It always feels better when you’re there.”

“Oh,” Rose said, her face turning even redder.

“Go have lunch with your family,” Juleka said, releasing Rose’s hand to gently push at her shoulder. “We can have lunch at my place tomorrow.”

“But what about you?” Rose asked, her face distressed. “You shouldn’t have to have lunch alone.”

“I won’t,” Juleka said. She turned an amused smile towards the classroom, which was mostly empty now except for Marinette and Adrien, who were lingering by the door and trying their hardest to look involved in their own conversation. “Marinette invited me over to her house for lunch.”

“Oh, good,” Rose said, letting out a breath and finally smiling up at Juleka, a real, happy smile. “I’ll see you after lunch then.”

“See you after lunch,” Juleka said, leaning down to press a quick kiss against Rose’s lips before letting go of her hand and starting towards the door.

“Hey, Rose,” Marinette said with a warm smile.

“Hey, Jules,” Adrien said, giving them a cheerful wave.

“Hey, guys,” Rose said, waving back with a smile of her own. She paused next to them. “Take care of her for me?” she asked quietly, turning to throw a teasing smile at Juleka.

“Yes, ma’am,” Adrien replied with a wide grin and a salute. Rose nodded approvingly and continued towards the door, disappearing around the corner. Juleka looked after her, warmth dissolving the last of the tension in her chest. God, she loved her.

“She could have come to lunch,” Marinette said. Juleka looked over at her to find her looking a little concerned. Juleka shrugged.

“She had to go home,” Juleka said. This didn’t seem to alleviate Marinette’s concern. Juleka repressed a sigh.

“It’s okay,” Juleka said gently. She started towards the door. “Come on. Adrien wants food.”

“Hey,” Adrien said, his indignant voice floating past her.

“Am I wrong?” Juleka asked, throwing a raised eyebrow over her shoulder as Adrien and Marinette followed her out of the classroom.

“…no,” Adrien said. He and Marinette still looked a little worried, but Juleka ignored it. The only thing she could do, for them _and_ Rose, was stay stable. If she could just keep holding things together, keep smiling, keep being normal, she could fix this. She could stop them from feeling like they needed to be concerned for her. She could convince them that everything was okay.

She was okay.

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“Oh, good, you’re here,” Mrs. Cheng said when Marinette opened the door. “I was beginning to think you had gotten lost.”

“We got held up at school, Maman,” Marinette said, stepping forward to receive a hug from her mother.

“Adrien, Juleka, glad you could make it,” Mrs. Cheng said, continuing on to give hugs to each of them. Adrien looked after her like he couldn’t believe she was real, like he couldn’t believe she wanted to hug him. Juleka wondered if _she_ looked like that every time Mrs. Cheng hugged her. She thought about the warmth spreading through her as Mrs. Cheng let her go and decided that she probably did.

“Where are Alya and Nino?” Mrs. Cheng asked Marinette as she moved back into the kitchen. “I thought you were inviting them too.”

“Oh, they had super secret lunch date plans today,” Marinette said, sharing a smirk with Adrien as they took seats next to one another at the table. Mrs. Cheng looked over at Juleka with a twinkle in her eyes and a knowing smile.

“Did they now?” Mrs. Cheng asked, turning her knowing smile to whatever she was sliding onto plates.

“Yeah,” Adrien said with a chuckle, leaning ever so slightly towards Marinette. “They said it so innocently, like we wouldn’t pick up on how much they wanted to be together.”

“Completely transparent,” Marinette giggled, also leaning towards Adrien. Juleka looked past them at Mrs. Cheng, who seemed to be struggling to hold in laughter. She caught Juleka’s eyes and grinned like a kid on Christmas morning.

“It really is ridiculous that they think we can’t see what’s going on between them,” Juleka said, allowing a small grin of her own. Mrs. Cheng winked at her cheerfully as she started bringing over bowls.

“It really is,” Adrien agreed, ostensibly scooting his chair closer to the table and _accidentally_ ending up closer to Marinette. Juleka thought she heard Mrs. Cheng snort as she set a bowl of soup down in front of Juleka.

“Thank you for lunch, Mrs. Cheng,” Juleka said, smiling up at her rather than watching the strange roundabout courtship of her best friends.

“Any time, Juleka. You know that,” Mrs. Cheng said, grinning at her again as she put bowls in front of Adrien and Marinette.

“Thank you,” Adrien said, a little belatedly looking away from Marinette to nod at Mrs. Cheng.

“You too, Adrien,” Mrs. Cheng said, smiling back at him warmly. “Our door is always open to you.”

“Thank you,” Adrien said again, looking after at her with that same disbelieving smile.

“I’d love to stay and chat with you kids, but I was waiting for you to get here so that I could go help your papa,” Mrs. Cheng said, rinsing her hands in the sink before she walked briskly over to the door. “The rest of the food is warming in the oven. Make sure to clean up your dishes when you’re done.”

“Yes, Maman,” Marinette said, already tucking into her soup.

“Thank you!” Adrien called once more. Juleka heard a chuckle float past the door before it closed behind Mrs. Cheng. “Your mother is the best, Marinette.”

“I know,” Marinette said cheerfully. She nudged Adrien playfully (when had she gotten close enough to do _that_?) and nodded at his plate. “Her food is the best too. Eat.”

“Yes, my Lady,” Adrien said with a wide grin. Marinette barely even had time to roll her eyes fondly before Adrien was digging into his food as well.

“Is the coast clear?” a voice stage-whispered.

“Yes, Plagg,” Adrien sighed. Plagg rocketed out of Adrien’s shirt, straight over to where Marinette had deposited her purse.

“Come on out, Spots,” Plagg said, opening the purse and sticking his head inside.

“Hi, Plagg,” Tikki said cheerfully, tackling Plagg as she flew out of the bag. Marinette pushed away from the table, going over to the fridge and rummaging for a moment.

“Aha! Here you go,” Marinette said, holding up a bag of cookies. “I took a cue from Juleka and had Papa make some of those camembert cookies. They’re a little different, but they’re still pretty tasty.” Plagg immediately let go of Tikki and made a beeline for the cookies. Tikki followed behind a little more slowly, smiling indulgently.

“Speaking of Alya and Nino,” Juleka said as Marinette returned to the table. “How are they? I haven’t had a chance to really talk to them since the first day of school.”

“They’re…good,” Adrien said. Juleka looked up from her soup at the hesitation. Adrien winced, lowering the spoon he’d been lifting to his mouth. “I don’t know about Alya so much, but Nino’s been acting kinda weird.”

“Alya has too,” Marinette jumped in. Her face flipping through relief then concern in quick succession. “At first I thought it was just her normal sneaking around with Nino, but it’s different.”

“Exactly,” Adrien said excitedly. “It’s not _nervousness_ ; it’s almost like…guilt? But also like he’s holding himself back from something.”

“Yes,” Marinette said, pointing at Adrien with her spoon. “Alya keeps starting a question, then asking something else or changing the topic entirely. Which is so weird, because Alya never holds back from trying to find out something she wants to know.”

“Did they seem weird to you the last time you talked, Jules?” Adrien asked, and then they were both looking at Juleka. Juleka froze with her spoon halfway to her mouth, looking between the two of them.

Juleka had two options here: she could lie and say that Nino and Alya had seemed fine that day after school, leaving Adrien and Marinette in the dark and possibly contributing to the dissolution of their friendships, but keeping Nino and Alya’s confidence. Or she could tell Adrien and Marinette a truth that she had technically never been asked to keep secret, give them advice on how to fix it, and save them all a lot of heartbreak.

…

“They were really weird,” Juleka said, lifting her spoon the rest of the way to her mouth and sipping the delicious soup.

“So, it’s not just us,” Marinette said with a sigh. Adrien reached out and patted her shoulder.

“Nope,” Juleka said.

“Did they say what was wrong?” Adrien asked. Juleka raised an eyebrow and dropped her eyes to Adrien’s hand on Marinette’s shoulder.

“What?” Marinette asked, following her gaze. Juleka turned her raised eyebrow on her. “ _What?_ ”

“What would you have done if Adrien put his hand on your shoulder a month ago?” Juleka asked pointedly. Marinette looked down at Adrien’s hand, then up at Adrien, then promptly turned red enough to rival several species of birds.

“Oh,” Marinette said, sounding a little strangled.

“What do you mean?” Adrien asked, glancing between Juleka and Marinette and looking absolutely lost. Juleka looked towards Marinette.

“Um,” Marinette squeaked. “We’re, um, acting differently?” Adrien furrowed his eyebrows at her. Then he looked down at his hand on her shoulder. Then he took his hand away so fast it was as if the furious blush on her face had made her too hot to touch. Then he turned red too, just to make things even.

“O-oh,” Adrien stammered. Juleka held in her snort, but just barely. “Why, um, why would that make them act weird?”

“Maybe because they can see that something has changed between you, but you won’t tell them what?” Juleka asked, sipping another spoonful of soup. Adrien’s and Marinette’s sat ignored in front of them as they processed.

“They’re hurt that we aren’t telling them?” Adrien asked, his blushed still burning strong.

“Yeah,” Juleka said.

“But they aren’t telling us about what happened between them,” Marinette said with a frown.

“Which means that on top of feeling hurt, they’re guilty about feeling that way,” Juleka pointed out.

“Oh,” Marinette said, her face falling, her blush fading quickly. “Oh no.”

“Yeah,” Juleka said.

“How can we fix that?” Adrien asked forlornly. “It’s not like we can tell them what actually changed.”

“Why not?” Juleka asked. She felt every pair of eyes in the room turn to her as she focused on her soup.

“‘Why not?’” Marinette parroted. Juleka practically felt her exchange a confused glance with Adrien. “Because the change was that we learned each other’s top secret superhero identities?” Juleka shrugged, then pouted when she scraped the bottom of her soup bowl.

“What are we supposed to do?” Adrien asked sarcastically. “Just tell them that we found out that we’re Ladybug and Chat Noir?”

“Yeah,” Juleka said. She wondered if it would be too weird to lick the bowl.

“Jules,” Marinette said. Juleka looked up at the firmness in her tone. She was frowning, her face a mess of confusion and a little bit of annoyance and a whole helping of disbelief.

“I can never tell if you’re joking or not,” Adrien sighed, his frown matching Marinette’s.

“I’m not,” Juleka said, meeting both of their eyes to show her sincerity. “The best way to fix this would be to tell them the truth. Don’t you hate lying to them?”

“Of course,” Marinette burst out, her hands flying up in exasperation. “Every time I have to lie to Alya I want to hit something.”

“Same with Nino,” Adrien said sadly.

“Then why not tell them?” Juleka asked. “They can see that something’s changed. And it’ll probably only get worse. So, your two options are to tell them or lie to them.”

“We can’t reveal our identities,” Marinette protested. “It’s rule number one.”

“A rule that has been broken first with me and then with you two and it’s worked out just fine,” Juleka said.

“Juleka,” Tikki said, she and Plagg suddenly popping up between their holders. She managed to look disapproving and careful at the same time. Plagg merely looked disinterested as he normally did, popping the last of a cookie into his mouth. “You’re different, you know that.”

“I’m not _that_ different,” Juleka said, her chest tightening. She wasn’t that different, she wasn’t. “Nino and Alya would do anything for them.”

“What’s the big deal?” Plagg asked lazily, plopping down on the table to stretch lazily. Juleka blinked at him. She wasn’t sure whose side he was arguing for and she wasn’t sure which side would surprise her more.

“Plagg, you _know_ what the big deal is,” Tikki said, folding her arms and glaring down at Plagg.

“The past doesn’t always repeat itself, Spots,” Plagg said, not moving from his careless sprawl, but betraying himself through the gentling of his voice.

“There is a reason that rule is in place,” Tikki said firmly. “They could be put in danger.”

“Alya is always in danger anyways,” Marinette said suddenly. Tikki looked up at her in disbelief. Marinette flushed and shrugged a little. “I’m always saving her from akumas because she’s trying to get footage.”

“And Nino has started following her,” Adrien added. Tikki turned to him, her face going from disbelieving to exasperated.

“Spots,” Plagg yawned, slouching up from his spot on the table to lay across her back. “ _I_ don’t really care about this, because it’s just a couple of friends, the kid can make more, he has _Juleka_. But I don’t think it would be the end of the world if they told two more people who are already close to them.”

“Plagg,” Tikki complained, twisting away from him to glare. Plagg just looked back at her, the picture of disinterest. Tikki sighed, her whole body drooping slightly. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Since when have humans ever made good choices?” Plagg snorted. Juleka looked up at Adrien and Marinette. Adrien was shaking his head exasperatedly at his kwami. Marinette looked like she was lost in thought, not really looking _at_ the kwamis, but past them.

“I’ll leave it to you,” Tikki said, looking up at Marinette, who blinked out of whatever world she’d been in, then at Juleka, who nodded. “Because I respect your instincts.” Tikki looked hard at Juleka, then flew over and collapsed on top of Plagg.

“Hey!” Plagg protested, his voice slightly muffled.

“Payback, Cat,” Tikki said smugly, giggling a little as Plagg tried to squirm away. Marinette smiled down at them, then looked up to share a glance with Adrien that reminded Juleka of how Mr. Dupain and Mrs. Cheng looked at one another whenever Marinette mentioned Adrien.

“I don’t know about you guys,” Juleka said, bringing all gazes back to her, “but I’m ready for the rest of lunch.” Adrien and Marinette looked down at their cold soup in surprise, as if they had forgotten that the main objective at the moment was to eat. Then they laughed and Marinette pushed away from the table to retrieve the main course from the oven.

The rest of the meal passed smoothly, with laughter and good food and enough rosy blushes to fill a garden. Plagg was cranky and Tikki was giggling and Adrien and Marinette were flirting in their own shy, awkward fashion. And if every now and then one of them trailed off, their eyes fixed on images only they could see, their thoughts far from Mrs. Cheng’s delicious cooking, well only Juleka noticed and she wasn’t going to tell.

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Much later, after school, after watching Adrien and Marinette and Nino and Alya do their guilty little dance around each other for hours, after Rose had left to go to scrapbooking club and Adrien and Marinette had left to go on a patrol, Juleka was unsurprised to find herself standing in front of La Tortue de Guérison.

There was so much in Juleka’s head. There was so much that she needed to get out _somehow_ and she had nowhere else she could safely put it. La Tortue had always been the place she went when she had nowhere else, when she was at the end of her rope, when she needed to talk to someone who could listen. It had always been that place and it still was.

It still was.

At least, that’s what Juleka was trying to tell herself as she hesitated outside of the gate for the first time in years. For the first time since Master Fu had gotten her to come inside. She hovered outside and tried to tell herself that nothing had changed, that _this_ was the same, that she still belonged _here_ of all places, she-

“Are you going to come in, or are you going to stand there all day?” a wry voice asked. Abruptly all of Juleka’s apprehension drained away and she opened the gate. There was Master Fu, sitting at the little table, pot of tea sitting ready and an empty teacup waiting. Same as always.

“Juleka,” Master Fu said warmly, gesturing to the free seat and picking up the empty teacup to fill it. “It’s been a while. Since Christmas, I believe. I was beginning to wonder if you were going to come back.” He said it casually, as if it wasn’t a big deal, a huge crisis of faith, a fracture in their relationship.

“I’m sorry…” Juleka said, sitting in her usual chair, settling into it the way she settled back into their friendship. She had almost forgotten how easy it was, being friends with Master Fu. She had almost forgotten the simple calmness of this garden. She had focused on what had changed, rather than on what was still the same.

“You do not need to apologize for needing time to process, Juleka,” Master Fu said firmly, handing Juleka her teacup along with a stern look.

“I _ran_ , Master Fu,” Juleka said, dropping her head so that her bangs hid her face.

“Are you here now?” Master Fu asked. Juleka looked up at him, raising an eyebrow at the seemingly obvious question. “Are you here now?” he repeated. “At this moment, in my garden. Are you here?”

“Yes?” Juleka asked.

“Then you’re not running,” Master Fu said, giving her a warm smile and sitting back in his seat. “You’re home.” Juleka stared at him for a moment, warmth spreading through her that had nothing to do with the hot tea in her hands. She took a sip of it to hide the warmth rising in her cheeks. Instead of processing _home_ , she thought about how glad she was to have porcelain in her hands again and warm tea on her tongue. She never thought she’d miss the taste of Oolong, but she couldn’t deny now that she needed it.

“Thank you,” Juleka said quietly, smiling back at Master Fu.

“You’re welcome,” Master Fu said with a gracious nod of his head. “Now, why don’t you tell me why you’re here.”

“Why am I _not_ here?” Juleka muttered. Master Fu chuckled, then fell silent as he assessed her.

“Is it Rose or Adrien and Marinette?” Master Fu asked. Juleka raised her eyebrow at him. “It’s usually Rose, but lately Adrien and Marinette have started showing up in your problems.”

“All of the above,” Juleka sighed. She took a sip of her tea and considered. “But there’s a Problem C as well.”

“Why don’t you start with Rose?” Master Fu suggested. Juleka sighed again.

“Rose is great,” she said. Then she stopped, staring down into her teacup.

“Sounds like a great dilemma,” Master Fu said sagely. Juleka threw a quick glare his way, which he accepted with a magnanimous smile.

“Rose’s father is…not quite as great,” Juleka said.

“What happened?” Master Fu asked gently. Juleka eyed him, wondering how he always knew. When he needed to joke and laugh, when he needed to speak softly like handling broken glass. She wondered whether it was a virtue of his role as Guardian. She wondered if that was something _she_ could ever do.

Yeah, right.

“I went to game night,” Juleka said, sighing for a third time and dragging herself out of the clouds. “It went just as badly as I thought it would. Or perhaps it went worse…” Juleka related the events of game night and the following day as concisely as she could. She tried not to flinch as she let harsh words become real again, but the hate on Mr. Lavillant’s face, the stale, reluctant regret he showed later, it was all too clear in her mind.

“I see,” Master Fu said slowly when Juleka ran out of words for what had happened.

“I shouldn’t have gone,” Juleka said, taking a sip of her tea to wash away the bitter taste in her mouth.

“Tell me,” Master Fu said, a hard glint in his eye that made Juleka shift uncomfortably. “Did you tell Mr. Lavillant to say those things?”

“No…” Juleka said reluctantly. She could see where Master Fu was taking this and she didn’t want to go.

“Did you convince him that things that are different are bad?” Master Fu asked.

“No,” Juleka said, gritting the word out between her teeth.

“Did you ask Rose to stand up to him for you?” Master Fu asked.

“No!” Juleka blurted, fighting to not clutch her teacup too hard. She didn’t need to break something else. She took a deep breath, fixing her eyes on the bare cherry blossom tree, focusing on the ways the branches twisted, searching for life where none could be found and wouldn’t for weeks yet. “But that doesn’t mean it isn’t my fault. I should have known better than to expect acceptance from them.”

“But you didn’t expect acceptance from them,” Master Fu pointed out, his smile as gentle and calm as if he was pointing out the weather. “You never have.”

“It’s my job to keep her safe,” Juleka insisted, tight pain pulling at her chest.

“Why?” Master Fu demanded, leaning forward.

“Because that’s what you _do_ for the people you love, isn’t it?” Juleka burst out. She had expected it to come out heated and harsh, because that’s how it felt inside her ribcage, like she was overheating in her coat in the middle of winter. Instead it came out like a plea, still jagged, but not painful for anyone but her. “You keep them safe, right? He didn’t love her enough to keep her safe, so I have to. Don’t I?”

“Juleka,” Master Fu said, his voice gentle once more, his eyes sadder than she’d ever seen and she’d come to him with _a lot_ of sadness. “You don’t need to carry the world on your shoulders.”

“If I don’t, who will?” Juleka asked. Fu regarded her with somber eyes. He looked at her for a long time, looking for something in her face

“You’re not alone, Juleka,” Master Fu said finally. He leaned forward and covered her gloved hand with his, looking into her eyes so that she couldn’t look away. “Maybe you were once, but you have people who will hold up the world with you. You don’t have to be okay.”

“Everyone seems to be telling me that recently,” Juleka sighed, focusing on the pressure of Master Fu’s hand over hers and fighting the urge to duck behind her bangs.

“Maybe it’s because you need to hear it,” Master Fu said, his sad smile widening into a slightly-less-sad grin. Then he gave her hand one more pat and sat back, raising his teacup to his lips. “So, not your fault?” Juleka sighed but nodded anyway.

“Not…my fault,” she said, finally looking away to take a sip of her own tea.

“Okay then,” Master Fu said, nodding firmly as if that had stopped the dissatisfied echoes in her head. “Is there more with Rose or do we move to Problem B?” Master Fu asked.

“Problem B,” Juleka said. She started to organize the walking, talking problem that Adrien and Marinette was in her head. She thought about the deal with Nino and Alya, then the conversation with the Supers and Tikki and Plagg and- Juleka did a mental double take, truly looking around the garden for the first time. “Wait, where’s Wayzz?” Master Fu chuckled at her, used to her long, musing silences and her abrupt returns to reality.

“I figured you wouldn’t want to share your problems with a complete stranger,” Master Fu said with an amused grin and a nonchalant shrug. “You only just met Wayzz after all.”

“Oh,” Juleka said. She blinked. Then she mentally rolled her eyes at herself for being surprised at Master Fu’s thoughtfulness. “I don’t mind him being here.” Master Fu considered her for a moment.

“You may go let him know, if you wish,” Master Fu said, nodding at the doors. Juleka stopped for a moment to consider the offer. On the one hand, she did want to know more about Wayzz, wanted to get to know him and perhaps even befriend him like she seemed to have done with Tikki and Plagg. He was certainly important to Master Fu, which meant he was important to her. But the first and only time Juleka had ever met him, she rejected him, and now she was just complaining about her problems. Did he really want to see her? Did he-

“I’m sure he would be happy to listen,” Master Fu said. Juleka blinked at him. Then she narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. He only continued to smile at her innocently, taking a casual slurp of his tea. Juleka gave up her glare, since she was unlikely to find evidence of his mind reading capabilities just by looking, and levered herself up out of her chair to head inside.

“Wayzz?” Juleka asked as she opened the door, looking straight towards the bureau holding the phonograph, where a half empty teacup stood unattended. Wayzz poked his head out of horn of the phonograph, smiling pleasantly when his eyes landed on Juleka.

“Hello, Juleka,” Wayzz said, flying out of the phonograph to hover in front of her. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“Nice to see you too,” Juleka said. She hesitated for a moment, then shoved down her insecurities and went for it. “Would you like to come outside? And talk with us?” Wayzz regarded her and for a second, he reminded her strongly of Master Fu.

“I would love to,” Wayzz said after a moment. “Would you mind bringing my tea?” Juleka stepped forward and retrieved the teacup and followed Wayzz outside.

“Ah, Wayzz. Nice of you to join us,” Master Fu said, his eyes twinkling as he greeted his kwami. Wayzz waited for Juleka to set his teacup down on the table before settling gracefully on the rim and turning a look on Master Fu that was so unimpressed that Juleka was surprised he didn't dissolve into dust.

“You know, Master, sometimes I think you would have been a better fit for the Cat Miraculous,” Wayzz said with a serene smile, turning away from Master Fu to sip from his cup.

“But then who would entertain you?” Master Fu asked. Wayzz shook his head fondly as Master Fu threw a wink at Juleka, then clapped his hands together. “I believe we were on Problem B. Adrien and Marinette?”

“How are they doing?” Wayzz asked, his face friendly and interested.

“They’re good,” Juleka said. Then she smiled to herself with a fond headshake of her own. “They revealed their identities to one another a few weeks ago.”

“Did they?” Master Fu asked, exchanging a look and a secretive smile with Wayzz. “Are they not handling it well?”

“Actually, they’re handling it much better than I thought they would,” Juleka admitted, picking her teacup back up and trailing her fingers across the smooth surface absentmindedly. “Other than mooning over one another for the last few weeks, they’ve been completely functional.”

“Are they dating then?” Master Fu asked. He seemed extremely nonchalant, but he sat forward, his smile widening just slightly.

“Not yet,” Juleka said. Master Fu deflated a little. “But I think it’s only a matter of time. They’re trying to figure it out.” Master Fu perked up again, sharing another smile with Wayzz.

“I told you they were made for each other,” Master Fu told him.

“You did,” Wayzz said with a bow of his head.

“Have you been shipping Adrien and Marinette?” Juleka asked, amusement pulling at her lips.

“Of course,” Master Fu said simply. “Are you saying you haven’t?”

“No,” Juleka said, grinning back at him.

“So, they’re handling the reveal well. And they can finally talk to one another about their secret instead of just you,” Master Fu said, smiling sympathetically at Juleka before pausing and quirking an eyebrow. “So, where is the problem?” Juleka sighed.

“It’s changing their behavior and their friends have noticed,” she said. Wayzz and Master Fu immediately went from expectant to understanding.

“These are the kissing friends?” Master Fu asked. Juleka glared at him, but he merely waited for her answer.

“Alya and Nino,” Juleka confirmed. She figured that Master Fu already knew and kept pretty much everything else a secret. She might as well share this too. “Yes.”

“And they’re hurt that something is going on with their friends that they aren’t sharing,” Wayzz guessed. Juleka nodded.

“But they’re also guilty, because they haven’t shared their own secret,” Master Fu continued. Juleka nodded again. Wayzz and Master Fu were a seamless tag team, effortlessly reading the situation.

“All four of them have come to me to ask what is going on with the others,” Juleka said, her exasperation leaking into her voice. Then her exasperation drained away at the thought of their earlier conversation. “It would fix everything if they could all just be honest with each other, but…”

“Adrien and Marinette have very big secrets,” Master Fu finished. Juleka nodded. Then she hesitated, swishing her tea around her cup, watching the amber liquid splash against pure white.

“Would it be so bad if they told them?” Juleka asked, risking a glance up at Wayzz and Master Fu. They regarded her calmly, no trace of surprise or unease on either face. “I know Tikki said it was against the rules, and I understand why it could be unsafe, but…I feel like it would be okay. It was okay with me. Nino and Alya are even closer to Adrien and Marinette than I am.” Wayzz and Master Fu stayed silent for a moment, both considering the question at hand. They looked over at one another and Master Fu gestured for Wayzz to speak.

“When it comes to telling people of the Miraculous, one must be very careful,” Wayzz said slowly, his face serious, his hands folded in front of him. “One never knows what will happen in the future, or where fate will take us. There are very good reasons for keeping the secret to as few people as possible. It minimizes the danger.”

“So, Tikki was right to object,” Juleka said. She slumped back in her seat, unable to quell the frustration welling up, heavy and uncomfortable, in her stomach. It was more than just an easy route denied. It was more than just Juleka being wrong. She had given Adrien and Marinette bad advice. There was time to fix it, sure, but she’d led them astray, almost led them to make the wrong decision, and _that_ …That wasn’t something Juleka could easily forgive herself for.

“Not quite,” Wayzz said carefully. Juleka’s head flew up, her eyebrow rising at Wayzz. He looked a little uncomfortable, his hands rubbing together now. “There is a precedence for revealing the secret if it’s threatening relationships. It is certainly safer to keep it to fewer people, but one cannot deny the benefit of a support network.”

“If there’s precedent then why was Tikki so against it?” Juleka asked. Wayzz sighed, glancing at Master Fu before looking back at Juleka.

“Tikki is a great kwami,” Wayzz said a little awkwardly. “She cares a lot about her holders and their safety. However, she can be…a little _too_ cautious.”

“The Cat and Ladybug Miraculous are only activated in times of greatest danger,” Master Fu spoke up. He still had his normal calmness, but he looked more serious now and a little sad too. “They are the most powerful and the most sought after of the Miraculous, so they stay dormant unless there is no other choice. This is probably the longest they’ve been active in centuries.”

“But this means that Tikki and Plagg have seen some truly terrible times. Pretty much exclusively. And it has affected them both differently,” Wayzz said, his discomfort fading into sorrow. “In Tikki, it means that she is sometimes overprotective, which isn’t surprising. She knows firsthand what can happen when the secret is passed to the wrong people. She values their safety above all else. Even above their relationships if it comes down to it.”

“But Tikki has always been supportive,” Juleka said, trying to match her image of Tikki, sweet and kind, giggling over crushes and cookies and silly human problems, with this new image of a Tikki who had seen too much and had been scarred by it. “She didn’t have any problem with me knowing, or with telling Adrien.”

“Other holders are special cases,” Master Fu said. “After a certain amount of time, they’re considered to be kwami-vetted and trustworthy.” He made a little bow to Wayzz who bowed back with a little smile.

“And me?” Juleka asked.

“You figured it out on your own,” Wayzz said, offering her a little smile as well. “That meant that you had strong Turtle potential, which rarely ever manifests in someone who isn’t pure of heart.” Wayzz’s chin lifted and his chest puffed out as a proud smile crossed his face. Master Fu chuckled at him, sharing an amused look with Juleka.

“My Turtle potential was like a stamp of approval?” Juleka asked, raising an eyebrow at the both of them. They nodded in tandem. “If I hadn’t had Turtle potential…”

“The glamour probably would have kept you from ever finding out,” Wayzz said with a shake of his head. “But if you had, Tikki would have gone to greater lengths to keep an eye on you and keep you away from Marinette.” Juleka stared at him, wondering just how differently their relationship would have ended up without that automatic trust. She wondered if she and Marinette would be enemies now instead of best friends. She immediately stopped that train of thought in its tracks.

“Going back to the original problem,” Master Fu said, giving Juleka a firm look that told her he knew what she was thinking, or at least part of it. “While Tikki’s input is certainly important, her uncertainty does not rule out the option.”

“Do you think that Nino and Alya could be trusted with this secret?” Wayzz asked, flying up to hover in front of Juleka, his eyes examining her face intently. Juleka nodded firmly. “Do Adrien and Marinette?”

“I’m not sure,” Juleka said slowly. She thought about their last words, reasoning with Tikki almost like they were thinking about it. “But I think they might.”

“Then it’s probably worth the risk,” Wayzz said, giving Juleka an encouraging smile. He drifted forward and patted Juleka’s cheek, then returned to his place on his teacup.

“Problem B solved?” Master Fu asked. Juleka hesitated, doubts darting through her mind. Then she nodded anyway, tucking them away. It didn’t matter, she told herself. It was okay.

But Master Fu wasn’t having that apparently.

“What is it?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at her over his teacup. He lowered his cup when Juleka didn’t respond, considering her carefully. Juleka looked down at her cup so that her bangs hid her face. She didn’t think that would actually make him let it go, but she wished it would. She wished she could just ignore it until it dissolved…

“Not thinking about it won’t make it go away, Juleka,” Master Fu said gently. Juleka’s eyes snapped up to his face, knowing but sympathetic, firm but kind.

“Is- do you trust that I’m right about Nino and Alya because I have Turtle potential?” Juleka asked. Or blurted, really, the words tumbling out of her mouth almost without her permission, slightly garbled after being stuffed in a corner of her mind for weeks.

“No,” Master Fu said immediately, without hesitation. Something in Juleka loosened at his easy response. “We trust that you’re right because you are smart and you have good instincts.”

“But my instincts-” Juleka started.

“Are yours,” Wayzz said. He floated close to her again. “Your Turtle potential means you have certain characteristics, yes. For instance, you will always be less susceptible to glamours. But these things are mostly latent until you accept the Miraculous. It’s like your immune system or your sense of balance; it helps you, it informs you, but it doesn’t make you who you are, Juleka.”

“And it isn’t the reason why your friends want to be around you,” Master Fu said, his eyebrow raised at her. “You’ve been worrying about that, haven’t you?”

“Yes,” Juleka admitted, taking a sip of her tea so that she didn’t have to look at his knowing gaze or Wayzz’s sympathetic smile. The tea was much cooler now, but the taste still settled her just a little.

“Problem C?” Master Fu asked. Juleka nodded reluctantly.

“I’ve been trying not to think about it,” she admitted.

“And how has that been working?” Master Fu asked, his face the epitome of innocence. Juleka glared at him.

“Badly,” Juleka said.

“Oh, really?” Wayzz asked, looking just as innocent as Master Fu. Juleka glared at him too. Then she sighed.

“You said it was my fault that I was surrounded by superheroes,” Juleka said. Wayzz’s innocent-smug expression melted into something much more sheepish.

“I didn’t mean that they were actually around you because of your Turtle potential,” Wayzz said, his face apologetic.

“Plagg said it was like a moth-to-flame effect. That I was drawn to people because they had strong potential,” Juleka said. Something like irritation flashed across Wayzz’s face, then smoothed out into apology again.

“That’s not quite true,” Wayzz said. Then he sighed. “I can’t say it’s false, because that can happen.” He rushed on, his face earnest. “But what I was really referring to was the way you became friends with Adrien and Marinette. Your Turtle potential made you immune to the glamour, but you were the one who put together that they were superheroes and you were the one who stepped up to help them and win their trust. Kwamis may give you the benefit of the doubt on first meeting because of your potential, but most humans can’t feel that. They’re friends with you now because they like you, not because of some subconscious pull.” Wayzz dropped back to his cup, watching Juleka tentatively. Juleka thought it over, trying to find flaws in the logic, trying to make it make sense.

“What about you?” Juleka asked, looking up at Master Fu. She almost didn’t want to ask, didn’t want to hear the answer. But it burned at the back of her mind and they kept telling her not to bottle everything up, didn’t they?

“What about me?” Master Fu asked, tilting his head at her.

“Didn’t you start talking to me because you saw my potential and wanted to train me?” Juleka asked.

“Juleka,” Master Fu said, shaking his head sadly.

“It’s okay,” Juleka said quickly, looking down at her teacup, surprised to find it empty. Her chest tightened painfully, but it was okay. He was still here even though she’d said no, it was okay. It was okay.

“No, it’s not,” Master Fu said. Juleka looked back up at him. His face was sad again and Juleka was beginning to hate how often she made him look that way. “You don’t seem to grasp that you are important to the people around you.” Juleka felt her eyes widen and Master Fu shook his head again. “When I looked at you all those years ago, I saw your potential, that is true. I see potential in everybody, all the time. But that wasn’t what made me start talking to you.” Master Fu leaned forward and took Juleka’s teacup out of her hands, setting it on the table before taking her hands gently in his own.

“I started talking to you because I saw a deep sadness in you,” Master Fu said softly. “And later, I kept talking to you because you proved to be smart and witty and interesting and still very sad, but a little less so every time you left. I offered you the Miraculous because I thought you’d be a good fit, no more, no less. It had nothing to do with our friendship.” Juleka felt a soft touch on her cheek and she glanced down to see Wayzz smiling at her comfortingly.

“He’s been telling me about you for years,” Wayzz said, his eyes dancing like Master Fu’s did sometimes. “The little friend with the sad eyes and the secret humor. It wasn’t until recently that he asked me to look at you as a potential Miraculous holder.” Juleka looked from him to Master Fu, her chest loosening under a trickle of warmth, but worries still buzzing through her mind like they always did these days.

“I feel like I have to take it, like I can’t escape,” Juleka said quietly, looking down, away from those compassionate gazes. “I feel like I have no choice.”

“There is always a choice, Juleka,” Master Fu said, squeezing Juleka’s hands.

“Is there?” Juleka asked, looking up through her bangs to search for an answer in Master Fu’s face. But it was a calm, compassionate mask like it always was.

“There are others who can take up the turtle,” Master Fu said, shrugging the concern off, like it really wasn’t that big a deal, like it could really be okay.

“But Plagg said that you can’t find another fit that easily,” Juleka said.

“Plagg says a lot of things,” Wayzz huffed. Master Fu shot him an eyebrow and Wayzz sighed. “He’s partially right. Turtle potential is rarer than most, and you fit the Miraculous better than most. But that does not mean we won’t find someone. If we had to, we could find another holder.”

“It was never our intention to pressure you with our offer, Juleka,” Master Fu said. Juleka could feel the warmth of his hands through their gloves. “It isn’t failure or selfishness or irresponsibility to turn it down.”

“Then why does it feel like it?” Juleka asked petulantly.

“Because you are capable and selfless and responsible to a fault,” Master Fu said with a warm chuckle, swinging her hands between them. “Will you accept that this time, it’s okay to step aside and let someone else do the work and take the risk?” Juleka thought about it for a long moment, weighed the feelings swirling inside of her, before she nodded slowly.

“Good,” Wayzz said with a firm nod of his head and another pat to her cheek. “You deserve it, Juleka.” Juleka silently disagreed with him on that, but didn’t say anything. She was tired of them looking at her like she was fragile.

“I deserve _tea_ ,” Juleka said instead, gently removing one of her hands from Master Fu’s grasp and imperiously holding out her teacup. Master Fu chuckled and sat back, lifting the teapot to pour Juleka another cup, steam rolling off of the liquid as it met the cold air. Juleka lifted her cup to her lips, relishing the feeling of warmth sliding down her throat and pooling in her stomach, letting it wash away the doubts.

“You know…” Master Fu said, his eyes fixed on the teapot as he filled his and Wayzz’s cups. “You also deserve to be able to talk about these things. Same as Adrien and Marinette.”

“I know,” Juleka said slowly, looking up from her tea to quirk an eyebrow at Master Fu. “I’m talking to _you_.”

“I understand that I’m not exactly outside of the situation anymore,” Master Fu said, giving Juleka a sad smile as he set down the teapot. Juleka felt the dismal truth of that aching in her ribcage, but she didn’t know what she could say in response, what he was trying to get at, so she simply tilted her head at him.

“I’m sure you could talk to your friends about telling someone you trust,” Wayzz said gently, looking up at Juleka significantly before bending to take a sip of his tea. Juleka stared at him. Then she turned to stare at Master Fu. Then she stared at Wayzz a little bit more, because _what?_

“Are you- Are you saying I should tell Rose?” Juleka asked, settling back on Master Fu. She knew that her mouth was gaping open a little and her eyes were a little too wide, but she couldn’t seem to rein it in, because that was just about the last thing she had expected them to suggest.

“You need someone outside of this to talk to, Juleka,” Master Fu said, speaking as if he was suggesting Juleka go to the grocery store rather than reveal the biggest secret Juleka had ever learned to her girlfriend, which she had been yearning to do for months but had never expected would come to pass. “Think about it, okay? Maybe talk to Adrien and Marinette, see what they think.”

“I-” Juleka tried, torn between asking Master Fu if he was crazy and scoffing at him for thinking she would be able to _stop_ thinking about this.

“You deserve an outlet,” Wayzz said firmly. Juleka couldn’t do more than nod and gulp down some tea, because _what??_

“I think we might have broken her, Wayzz,” Master Fu stage whispered to his kwami, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

“I think you may be right, Master,” Wayzz replied, his eyes twinkling the exact same way. Juleka glared at them both.

“Better with the Cat Miraculous my butt,” Juleka muttered into her cup. Wayzz and Master Fu both laughed at that and the tension in Juleka’s chest dissolved. After that, their conversation turned to other things, happier things. They told stories and jokes and Juleka left Master Fu’s garden feeling lighter than she had in weeks. She had a lot to think about still, but when she thought it would be okay, it didn’t feel like such a lie. She thought, maybe, she really could handle this. She thought, just maybe, she really could fix this.

She was okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Years, friends!
> 
> This was more of a transition chapter than anything else, tying up some emotional loose ends, introducing conflict, tugging on heartstrings, you know.
> 
> We're on the home stretch here. If my plot structure works out the way I've planned (but let's be honest here, when _has_ it worked out the way I planned) then this story should wrap up within three to four chapters. We'll see what happens.
> 
>  
> 
> Next: What's a secret without a reveal?


	27. Tech Support

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien and Alya use their phone-a-friend privileges.

When Juleka’s phone rang, she briefly considered ignoring it. She was elbow deep in chemistry homework and she knew that if she didn’t finish it now, it would be that much harder to start again later. However, only three people ever called Juleka these days and she couldn’t ignore any of them. It probably wasn’t Rose, since tonight was game night, but if it was, chances were it was serious. If it was Marinette or Adrien, there was still a low chance of emergency (they rarely had urgent problems that they needed Juleka to solve anymore) but they would, at the very least, be much more entertaining than chemistry.

So, when the phone continued ringing insistently, Juleka sighed and closed her chemistry book, firmly telling herself that she would see what- Adrien, apparently- wanted, then go straight back to work. Five-minute break, tops. In and out. Easy peasy.

“This is Juleka, what’s your crisis?” Juleka joked as she answered the phone.

“ _JuleshelpI’mfreakingout_ ,” Adrien said in a rush. Juleka paused. First to translate Adrien’s spew of words into a sentence. Then to mentally slap herself because she should have known better than to tempt fate.

“You actually have a crisis, don’t you?” Juleka asked with a sigh.

“ _YeahI’mfreakingout_ ,” Adrien blurted.

“Slow down. I can’t help if I can’t understand you,” Juleka said patiently, sitting back in her chair and getting comfortable. This would probably take a while.

“ _Sorry, Jules_ ,” Adrien said. The sound of his deep breath echoed across the line. Then another. “ _Okay. I’m freaking out._ ”

“Yeah, I got that,” Juleka said. She wished she could be there to roll her eyes at him. “Why?”

“ _Nino_ ,” Adrien said.

“What _about_ Nino?” Juleka asked, resisting the urge to throttle something. Especially since the closest thing she could mangle was her homework and she wasn’t about to sacrifice _that_.

“ _He decided to tell him about being Chat Noir,_ ” Plagg butted in, his voice sounding as exasperated as Juleka felt, “ _and now he’s being a baby about it_.” Juleka imagined him hovering next to Adrien’s ear, probably chewing on a wedge of camembert, giving him some quality side-eye. Her mental image was abruptly interrupted and she jerked the phone away from her ear when she heard a loud clatter, followed by an equally loud hiss.

“Hello?” Juleka asked, hoping that Plagg had not acted upon her throttling impulse.

“ _Sorry, Jules. I’m here_ ,” Adrien said, slightly breathless. She heard Plagg say something in the background and then another clatter.

“Don’t listen to Plagg,” Juleka said, not for the first time and probably not for the last. “You’re allowed to freak out about this.”

“ _You sound like Tikki_ ,” Plagg shouted, his voice thin and distant. Juleka heard yet another clatter. She wondered where Adrien was getting all of these projectiles.

“Thank you, Plagg,” Juleka said. She heard Plagg grumble again, but ignored it. “You talked to Marinette and Tikki about it?”

“ _Yeah_ ,” Adrien said, his voice taking on that dreamy, moony tone that both he and Marinette got when talking about one another. “ _Marinette and I decided that we want to tell them_.”

“When are you going to do it?” Juleka asked, idly looking at the clock and wondering whether she needed to give up on getting back to her chemistry.

“ _Um. Now?_ ” Adrien said.

“You’re telling him _now_?” Juleka blurted, sitting up straight in her chair. “Like, _right_ now? Like, Nino is sitting in the next room or something, waiting for you to spill your guts?”

“ _No, he’s coming over in an hour_ ,” Adrien said. Juleka let out a sigh of relief and sat back in her seat.

“Good. I thought you were gonna ask me to stay on the phone and help you through it or something,” Juleka said.

“…”

“Oh my god, you want me to come over there and help you through it,” Juleka said.

“ _I don’t know if I can do this by myself, Jules_ ,” Adrien said in a rush, his voice back to full panic mode, now with added whiny flavor. “ _Have I mentioned that I’m freaking out?_ ”

“Why don’t you get Marinette to help you? That way you can tell him about both of you at the same time. Get Alya in on it. Two for one,” Juleka said, her exasperation back full force.

“…”

“Adrien Agreste,” Juleka said suspiciously, sitting forward in her chair again.

“ _…yes?_ ” Adrien asked, his voice pure innocence.

“You’re asking me because you don’t want her to see you freaked out, aren’t you?” Juleka asked, knowing that she had gone full accusation and not caring even a little.

“…”

“Oh my god,” Juleka said. Trust toxic masculinity to mess everything up. She looked over at her chemistry book, sitting innocently on her desk, taunting her with the last five problems that she had been so close to finishing. So close. She sighed. “I’ll be there in ten.”

“ _Thank you, Jules! You’re the best_ ,” Adrien said, his voice so relieved that Juleka almost, _almost_ stopped judging him.

“I expect homework help,” Juleka huffed, grabbing her textbook and stuffing it into her bag with a tad more violence than strictly necessary.

“ _Of course_ ,” Adrien said pleasantly.

“And snacks,” Juleka said as she dragged herself out of her chair.

“ _Done_ ,” Adrien said. Plagg’s voice floated across the line. “ _Yes, I will get you some camembert. But only if you behave with Nino._ ” Plagg’s voice sounded again. “ _No. Why would I trust you?_ ” Juleka shook her head, a smile pulling at her lips as she ended the call. They probably wouldn’t even notice that she’d hung up for several minutes.

Perhaps she shouldn’t be surprised, Juleka decided as she made her way out of her apartment, that Adrien and Marinette had come to this decision so quickly. Sure, Juleka had only brought up the possibility of them telling Nino and Alya a few days before, but they’d been hiding things from their best friends for ages. They’d probably been thinking about telling them the truth for months before Juleka brought it up. They just needed a reason, a spark, a disruption in the way things were.

Dissolving relationships had a way of bringing about change.

Juleka wondered what Marinette was thinking right about now, whether she was also scheduling a heart to heart with Alya. Juleka generally considered Adrien to be the rasher of the two, quick to trust and quick to act. However, Marinette had surprised her with her willingness to act before. Perhaps she’d move at Adrien’s pace this time.

Juleka made a note to check in with Marinette once she’d helped Adrien as she locked her door behind her.

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“Dude,” Juleka said, eyeing the carts of food parked next to Adrien’s couch.

“You said you wanted snacks,” Adrien said, the closest to casual he’d been since he’d raced down the stairs to meet Juleka in the foyer. He snagged a shrimp from the cocktail and popped it in his mouth as he flopped down on the couch.

“Yes. Snacks. Not a _feast_ ,” Juleka said. She moved over to the cheese cart (because for some reason there was a cart just devoted to _cheese_ , what the heck) to give Plagg a solemn fist bump. He granted it, then went straight back to munching his way through the dish of camembert. She took a couple cheese balls (because this cart had gourmet camembert right next to one euro cheese balls, what the _heck_ ) and joined Adrien on the couch.

“Are you objecting?” Adrien asked, his grin wide and pleased.

“Nope,” Juleka said, shaking her head fondly as she poured the rest of the cheese balls into her mouth. “But you’re still ridiculous.”

“Me? Ridiculous?” Adrien gasped like the dramatic idiot he was. “I think you mean _meow_ velous.”

“That is not even sort of what I meant,” Juleka said flatly. She reached over to the nearest cart for one of the neatly piled napkins. She refused to be the one to get cheese powder stains on Adrien’s nice white couch.

“Come on,” Adrien said, giving Juleka his best kitty eyes. Unfortunately for him, cats never evolved a begging instinct.

“Do you know what you’re going to say to Nino?” Juleka asked pointedly. She took a savage kind of pleasure in the way Adrien’s pleading pout shifted to a sheepish smile.

“Um. No?” Adrien said, his shoulders rising in a shrug that perfectly complimented the lost expression on his face. “I thought I’d just wing it.”

“Wing it,” Juleka said, doing her best to look unimpressed.

“Yeah?” Adrien asked.

“Based on my personal experience of this conversation, winging it is an incredibly terrible idea,” Juleka said, standing up and taking a napkin to load with snacks.

“Aw, our first conversation about hero stuff wasn’t _that_ bad,” Adrien said, also standing up and wandering over to the snack carts. He produced a plate from somewhere and handed it over to Juleka. She took it and steadfastly ignored his pout, choosing instead to stare at him. Then she looked to her right to exchange a glance with Plagg, who had come to float next to her.

“It wasn’t!” Adrien objected. Juleka shifted her stare back to him for a second before returning to transferring her snacks to the plate.

“If I hadn’t already known everything-”

“Like you always do,” Adrien grumbled.

“-that conversation would have been ten times more awkward,” Juleka said, spearing some pieces of sushi with some handy little toothpicks and adding them to her plate. “And I would have been so much more confused.”

“What am I supposed to say, Jules?” Adrien asked forlornly, poking halfheartedly first at the imported Twinkies and then the macarons piled next to them. The macarons seemed to be stamped with the Dupain-Cheng bakery logo and Juleka was _definitely_ going to be asking (teasing) him about that later.

“What do you want him to know?” Juleka asked, carefully loading up on cheese balls so that they didn’t touch her shrimp.

“That I’m secretly Chat Noir?” Adrien asked tentatively, like he was afraid of getting the answer wrong.

“Good,” Juleka said, her answer a little muffled by the soft pretzel she held in her teeth. She took it out so that she could continue. “What else?”

“I guess…” Adrien said, his thinking face on, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. Then he sighed. “I guess I just want him to know that I didn’t keep it from him because I didn’t trust him.”

“There you go,” Juleka said, finally looking up from her meticulously crafted plate to give Adrien a comforting smile. “You’ve got it all planned out.”

“I’m Chat Noir; don’t feel bad?” Adrien asked skeptically. Juleka nodded, then sat down on the couch carefully so that she didn’t upset the balance of her plate. Adrien followed her, making sure to also be careful when sitting down. “That’s it?”

“Yeah,” Juleka said. She took a bite of her pretzel before she tilted her head at him. “Unless you also want to tell him about how you’re dating Marinette.”

“W-what?” Adrien blurted, staring at Juleka with wide eyes and a furious blush rising in his cheeks. “Marinette and I aren’t dating.”

“Why not?” Juleka asked bluntly. Adrien gaped at her, his jaw working like he was giving his best imitation of a fish.

“Why are we not dating?” Adrien finally managed to ask. Juleka nodded, focusing her gaze on her sushi to give him time to catch up. It was also falling apart in her fingers and needed some serious attention.

“W-why are you asking that?” Adrien asked a minute later. Juleka took a second to finish sorting out her sushi fiasco (to finish just stuffing the mess in her mouth) and looked up at Adrien’s flushed face.

“You told me you were in love with Ladybug,” Juleka said through a mouthful of rice and fish. Adrien somehow managed to turn even redder.

“Y-yes,” Adrien stammered. “What does that have to do with this?” Juleka put her plate aside so that she could properly convey the depth of her disapproval. Because she had thought she had found a limit to the obliviousness that this boy could sink to. And she had just discovered that he could sink even further. Adrien shrank away from her intense stare. Just a little. Just enough to tell her that it was effective.

“You discovered that your good friend, Marinette, is Ladybug,” Juleka said.

“Y-yes,” Adrien said, looking rather apprehensive as he shrank further back against the couch.

“Therefore, you love Marinette, right?” Juleka asked, hoping to god that Adrien knew the answer to that question.

“Yes,” Adrien sighed, finally just collapsing back against the couch with an air of defeat.

“So, the object of your affection is now accessible to you,” Juleka said with an exasperated wave of her hand. “Why are you not dating her yet?”

“Jules, it’s more complicated than that,” Adrien said, dragging one hand down the side of his face. Juleka stared at him for another second. Then she sighed and she too collapsed back against the couch.

“How?” Juleka asked.

“Ladybug is Marinette,” Adrien said, like that was supposed to answer all of Juleka’s many questions.

“Yes, we’ve established that,” Juleka said drily. Adrien threw her a halfhearted glare before returning to his miserable repose.

“Marinette doesn’t like me,” Adrien said.

“What?” Juleka asked.

“Marinette doesn’t like me,” Adrien said, shrugging sadly.

“What do you _mean_ she doesn’t like you?” Juleka demanded, honestly bewildered now, because there was no identity, no situation, no universe except for the darkest and saddest, in which Marinette disliked any incarnation of Adrien Agreste for more than five minutes. And also because Adrien and Marinette had become so close since revealing themselves that it was literally tearing apart their other friendships.

“Marinette has no interest in me other than as friends,” Adrien said with a heavy sigh. Okay, that made a little more sense. But only a little.

“Did she _tell_ you that she didn’t have any romantic interest in you?” Juleka asked, because at this point, she wouldn’t put it past them to somehow mess it up that badly.

“Well, no,” Adrien admitted.

“Then what can _possibly_ make you think that?” Juleka asked.

“Marinette has always had trouble talking to me,” Adrien said with a shrug. “Like she’s always just stuttered and grinned weirdly. Like she didn’t know what to do with me. She does it a lot less now that she knows I’m Chat Noir, but now she’s just acting like she always does as Ladybug. As partners. As _friends_. She’s not interested, Jules.”

“So, you’re telling me,” Juleka said, slowly sitting up so that she could stare down at the excuse for a smart person that she called a best friend. “That you think she doesn’t like you romantically because she stuttered and smiled around you too much?”

“Yeah,” Adrien said, sounding a little defensive, like he could _actually_ read the incredulousness in Juleka’s tone and like he didn’t have the emotional intelligence of a sea sponge.

“Stuttering and smiling too much,” Juleka confirmed.

“Yeah,” Adrien said.

“And now she’s acting like Ladybug,” Juleka said slowly.

“Uh huh.”

“Who is renowned for her flirtatious partnership with Chat Noir,” Juleka said.

“Um-”

“And that means that she doesn’t like you??” Juleka asked, honestly unsure of how to proceed at this point, because if Adrien couldn’t connect the dots, then what hope was there for him?

“Yeah,” Adrien said, sounding very defensive now.

“Dude,” Juleka said.

“ _What_ , Jules?” Adrien burst out, sitting up straight and flinging his arms out. “I can tell that you think I’m an idiot, but if I’m _so_ stupid then you’re going to have to spell it out for me.” Juleka blinked at him for a couple seconds. Adrien deflated almost immediately, his squared shoulders and fierce face and fisted hands dissolving into frustration and confusion and sadness.

“I’m sorry, Adrien,” Juleka said, reaching out hesitantly to touch Adrien’s arm, regret replacing the amused bewilderment in her chest, adding to the frustration. “I didn’t mean to make you feel that way. I…things always seem so obvious to me, but I forget that I have a different perspective than a lot of people.”

“It’s okay, Jules,” Adrien sighed, giving her a small, sad smile. “Just, tell me what you were trying to get at?” Juleka withdrew her hand and sat back, trying to think of a way to guide Adrien and get him to see the truth of the situation without betraying anyone’s confidence.

“When you found out that Ladybug was Marinette, how were you acting around her?” Juleka asked carefully.

“Jules-” Adrien started.

“I’m trying, okay?” Juleka said quickly, doing her best to withhold all sarcastic and frustrated impulses. “I can’t tell it to you straight, because it’s not mine to tell, so I’m trying to make you see another way.” Adrien blinked at her. Then he straightened again, something sparking in his eyes, something beginning to connect.

“Okay,” Adrien said slowly.

“How were you acting right at the beginning, when you first found out?” Juleka asked again, hoping against hope that this was going to work, because she didn’t know if she could take any more.

“Um, I was acting more like Chat Noir around her,” Adrien said, watching Juleka’s face carefully.

“Yes. What else?” Juleka prompted. Adrien’s eyebrows furrowed as he contemplated the question. She watched him think through it, thoughts flickering across his face rapid fire.

“I guess…I guess I was acting a little more shy?” Adrien tried.

“How were you acting shy?” Juleka asked, motioning for Adrien to continue as if she could conduct the truth out of his lips like music.

“Um…I was…” Adrien’s face was serious, stuck deep in thought, eyes flying between the couch and Juleka’s face like one of them held the answers. She saw it occur to him, she saw it register, she watched Adrien look up at her with hope and realization burning in his eyes. “I stuttered. Like I didn’t know what to do.”

“ _Yes_ ,” Juleka said, snapping her fingers. “And why did you do that?”

“Because I loved her so much and she was right there, so close, all the time,” Adrien said, his hands rising to clutch at his hair. He let out an incredulous laugh, then pushed himself up off the couch as if he couldn’t stay still, pacing back and forth.

“She liked me?” Adrien asked finally, his voice soft and wondering. He stopped to stare down at Juleka, his face full of a thousand things, happiness outshining them all.

“Yeah,” Juleka said, beaming back up at him.

“Oh god, I’m an idiot!” Adrien exclaimed happily.

“Yeah,” Juleka agreed. Adrien looked around the room as if it had somehow changed in this revelation. Then something did change, and Adrien’s face shuttered, his eyes falling to the floor.

“But she might not like me _now_ ,” Adrien said. Juleka resisted the urge to sigh, but only barely.

“Why not?” Juleka asked reluctantly.

“She knows that Adrien Agreste is Chat Noir now. She knows that I’m just her partner,” Adrien said, collapsing back down on the couch, his elbows on his knees.

“So?” Juleka blurted before she could edit. She considered softening her approach, then decided that she was tired of soft. Soft wasn’t working. “Did it change how you felt, realizing that Ladybug was Marinette? ‘Just’ your classmate.”

“No, but it’s different-”

“How? Do you think that Marinette’s feelings were more shallow than yours?” Juleka asked bluntly.

“No,” Adrien said quickly, shifting uncomfortably.

“Then why would her feelings change when yours didn’t?” Juleka demanded. Adrien let out a frustrated huff, scrubbing one hand down his face, then through his hair before he looked over at Juleka again, conflict in his eyes.

“Jules…” Adrien said, lost and frustrated and confused.

“Look,” Juleka sighed, shifting over so that she could bump Adrien’s shoulder with her own. “With me and Rose? I wasted a lot of time assuming that I knew how she felt. If I’d just told her that I liked her sooner and trusted that she would be the kindhearted person she is and wouldn’t freak out on me, then we could have been so much happier so long ago.” Adrien was silent for a moment as he took that in.

“I can’t lose her, Jules,” Adrien said quietly. “What if I tell her I love her and she stops talking to me?”

“We’re talking about Marinette Dupain-Cheng?” Juleka asked.

“Yes,” Adrien said, gazing sadly out of his huge floor to ceiling windows.

“ _Our_ Marinette Dupain-Cheng?” Juleka asked.

“Yes, Jules,” Adrien huffed, his annoyance finally drawing him out of his morose contemplation of the weather to glare at Juleka. “Where else is there another Marinette Dupain-Cheng?” He shifted back into pining, his eyes floating back to the windows. “There’s no one else like her.”

“Adrien, Marinette basically became a superhero because she was _too nice_ , I seriously doubt she’ll head for the hills just because you love her,” Juleka said flatly, purposefully ignoring the most dramatic sight she’d ever seen. “I’m pretty sure you’d have to murder someone. Or maybe neglect a child.”

“You think?” Adrien asked tentatively, his face contemplative.

“No, I’m giving you false hope because I like seeing you miserable. _Of course_ I think,” Juleka said, shaking her head at him fondly. “Come on. Where’s the Chat Noir I know? The Chat Noir that has confidence oozing out of his pores and will flirt with anything that stands still long enough.”

“I don’t do that,” Adrien protested, but he was smiling now, a small, uncertain thing, but a smile nonetheless.

“You kinda do,” Juleka said. She finally picked up her abandoned plate and carefully selected a cheese ball to pop into her mouth.

“Thanks, Jules,” Adrien said, his smile a little wider, a little more genuine. “I- I’ll try.”

“Any time, hero,” Juleka said, giving him a smile in return. “Now, wasn’t I called here for a different crisis?”

“Oh, crap. Nino,” Adrien said, his eyes widening before he looked frantically around for his phone. “He should be getting here in-”

“ _Adrien_ ,” a woman’s voice echoed through the room, presumably over some kind of intercom. “ _Nino is waiting for you at the gate. Shall I let him in?_ ”

“-now, apparently,” Adrien finished with a wince. “Of course Nino would choose today of all days to be early.” He vaulted over the back of the couch and jogged over to an intercom near the door.

“Let him in, please,” Adrien said into the speaker. “Thanks, Nathalie.”

“You’re welcome, Adrien,” Nathalie replied.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” Adrien said over his shoulder as he moved to the door.

“Please, your house is a mansion. Ten minutes, at least,” Juleka said, mostly to herself since Adrien was already out the door, probably sprinting towards the foyer. Juleka sighed and shifted on the couch, focusing back on her plate. She stuffed another piece of sushi in her mouth (she’d learned her lesson from last time) and chewed for a second. Then she spoke.

“So, they agreed to tell them?” Juleka asked. She was met with silence, but she wasn’t fooled. “Come on, Plagg. I know you’re awake.” It was silent for a moment longer. Then Plagg popped up above the cheese cart.

“You know, I really hate it when you use your Guardian Jedi mind tricks,” Plagg huffed, folding his little arms across his chest.

“I’m not a Guardian,” Juleka said, setting her plate down so that she could cross her own arms.

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that, kid,” Plagg said, his smirk wide and unbearably smug. Juleka felt a strong urge to snatch him out of the air and force a strawberry down his throat, but decided that it would be a waste of energy. And a waste of strawberry. “That was some nice Guardian-ing you were doing there. Great listening skills.”

“Plagg,” Juleka warned. Plagg sighed, but he held his hands up in surrender. He floated over lazily, plopping down on the couch so that he could examine Juleka’s face at his leisure.

“Just tell me one thing,” Plagg said and Juleka took her turn to sigh. “Why do you keep resisting this? Doesn’t seem to be much point if you ask me.” Juleka was pretty sure he was trying to keep up his brazen, blunt attitude, but she had heard him be gentle with Tikki too many times to not hear the note of care in his voice. She’d used the blunt angle too many times herself to not see what he was doing.

“Plagg,” Juleka warned again. “We’ve been over this.”

“Yeah, yeah. You don’t want to be pulled apart like Adrien and Marinette are. But you’re already being affected by it,” Plagg pointed out, nonchalant in the extreme, eyes closed and body relaxed as he tore Juleka’s argument to shreds. “You’re already dropping everything to help them out. You’re already stressing over them. You’re already lying to the people you love. Why do you insist-”

“Drop it, Plagg,” Juleka snapped. She stared him down when he opened one eye to consider her. He shrugged and closed it again.

“Whatever you say, kid,” Plagg drawled. Juleka sighed, picking up her plate again so that she could poke halfheartedly at its contents rather than look at him.

“They decided to tell them,” Juleka repeated, dragging the conversation back to her original question.

“Yeah,” Plagg said noncommittally.

“Tikki was okay with it?” Juleka asked. Plagg’s eye slid open again.

“Yeah, Tikki’s alright,” Plagg said, his voice soft in a way it only got when it came to Tikki. He shifted in place, his other eye sliding open. “She’s just trying to keep them safe.”

“She’s protective,” Juleka said carefully. If Plagg had an eyebrow, he probably would have raised it. Even without, he managed to look sufficiently unimpressed.

“You’ve been talking to Wayzz,” Plagg said. Juleka just shrugged and Plagg huffed. He sat up agitatedly, his tail twitching. “Tikki’s been through a lot. She’s just trying to help.”

“I know that. And Wayzz knows,” Juleka said quickly. Plagg blinked at her. Then he huffed again, crossing his arms back over his chest. Juleka hesitated, carefully examining the bristly little kwami, the closed expression on his face, the way he curled in on himself just a little.

“You’ve been through a lot too, haven’t you?” Juleka asked softly. Plagg didn’t move. His tail didn’t even twitch. Juleka bent forward a little to try and catch Plagg’s eye. In the split second that his gaze shifted to her before darting away, Juleka caught a flash of raw vulnerability, more pain and uncertainty and regret in that moment of eye contact than Juleka had ever felt and she had felt a _lot_.

“What do you know?” Plagg grumbled, rough disinterest sliding into place over his wounds, but Juleka could still feel them echoing in her chest.

“Not much,” Juleka said, sitting back and picking up a piece of shrimp, letting Plagg have his space to put up his tough exterior. “But some have said that I have good listening skills.” Plagg snorted, side-eyeing Juleka as she dropped the shrimp into her mouth. As she chewed, she held out a fist, pointedly not looking down at him. She held it there for a long moment, long enough that she began to think that she wasn’t going to get a tap. But then she felt it, a little too light, but there all the same, Plagg’s little hand bumping against hers. She looked down at him, met his defensive scowl with a slight smile, then got up to get more snacks and let it be over.

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

“Jules!” Adrien cried as he flung open the door a few minutes later. “Nino’s here!” Juleka looked over to see Adrien stride into the room, all manic energy, with a bewildered Nino on his heels. She caught a flash of black out of the corner of her eye a second later as Plagg zipped out of sight.

 _Is he okay?_ Nino mouthed as Adrien jumped over the back of the couch. Juleka nodded and rolled her eyes.

“’Sup, Jules?” Nino asked, obviously doing his best to be normal and not confused out of his mind as he joined Juleka at the snack carts.

“Not much,” Juleka said, waving her hand over the bounty of goodness. “Just enjoying the feast.”

“Isn’t his definition of a snack insane?” Nino chuckled. “I nearly died and went to heaven the first time he pulled this.”

“He does this often?” Juleka asked, raising an eyebrow at Adrien.

“Hey. Homeschool kid,” Adrien protested, pointing at his own face.

“You can only use that as an excuse for so long, dude,” Nino said, shaking his head at his friend.

“Which means I have to use it while I can,” Adrien said with an innocent smile. Nino looked over at Juleka and shook his head again, then picked up the entire bowl of cheese balls and sprawled himself over the couch.

“So, what’re we doing?” Nino asked. “Video games? Movies? Truth or dare?” Nino waggled his eyebrows at Juleka on the last one.

“We could do some truth,” Juleka said, smiling innocently at Adrien who promptly turned red and glared back at her.

“Okay,” Nino said slowly, glancing between Adrien and Juleka. “Do you actually wanna play twenty questions, or can we skip straight to you guys telling me what’s going on?” Adrien’s gaze snapped to Nino and he did his truly excellent fish-out-of-water routine again. Juleka sighed and put her hand on Adrien’s shoulder. He looked up at her, panic widening his eyes.

“It’s okay,” Juleka said softly, squeezing his shoulder. Adrien swallowed. Then he nodded, taking a deep breath. Juleka took it with him, willing the panic to recede from his face. Adrien nodded again and turned to Nino, the truth building up in him, ready to come out.

“Nino,” Adrien said solemnly. He opened his mouth to tell his secret.

“You guys aren’t about to tell me you’re dating, are you?” Nino asked.

 

Juleka and Adrien both blinked at him.

 

And then they both burst out laughing.

 

“You- you think we’re dating?” Adrien asked through his laughter, doubled over with his hands clutching his stomach.

“Well, I _didn’t_ ,” Nino said defensively, his arms crossed over his chest. “But then I showed up and Jules was here and you guys had some serious eye contact going on.”

“Adrien’s cool and all, but I’m really, _really_ gay,” Juleka said through her own chuckles.

“I don’t know your life,” Nino protested. “You could have been bi or pan or whatever.”

“I have a _girlfriend_. That I love _a lot_ ,” Juleka said.

“And Adrien’s in love with Ladybug and probably Marinette. Stuff happens,” Nino said. Adrien’s laughs abruptly cut off with a choking sound. “Maybe you broke up with Rose. Maybe it was an open relationship. I wasn’t going to judge you.”

“Appreciate it,” Juleka said drily.

“No problem,” Nino said with a wry grin. He shifted his focus to Adrien, who seemed to still be choking. “You okay, dude?”

“Give him a minute,” Juleka said, watching Adrien turn even redder. “He’s been trying to deal with his feelings.”

“Um,” Nino said, turning his confused expression from Juleka to Adrien and back. “What?” Adrien seemed to be breathing properly again, so Juleka nudged him. Adrien looked up at her with a pained expression and she tilted her head at Nino. Adrien sighed and went through the whole deep breathing process again.

“Nino,” Adrien said solemnly, turning to look his best friend in the eye once more.

“Adrien,” Nino said slowly, glancing up at Juleka apprehensively once more before returning his attention to Adrien.

“I’m Chat Noir; don’t feel bad,” Adrien blurted.

“What?” Nino asked.

“Damn it, Adrien,” Juleka sighed.

“I panicked,” Adrien said, covering his face with one hand.

“You don’t say,” Juleka said, shaking her head.

“What do you mean you’re Chat Noir?” Nino asked, looking even more bewildered than he had when he came in.

“I mean that I am secretly the superhero Chat Noir,” Adrien said, putting his hand down and straightening, panic still written all over his face, but determination slowly joining it.

“You? You’re Chat Noir?” Nino asked.

“Yeah,” Adrien said with a small hopeful smile.

“Okay, haha, we’re all saying things that are obviously untrue, you’re not dating, I get it,” Nino said, doing his best to look unimpressed as he looked at Adrien and Juleka. “What’s _actually_ going on? Just tell me.”

“That’s what’s going on,” Adrien said, his face falling into a frown. “I’m Chat Noir.”

“No way, dude,” Nino said.

“Yes way,” Adrien said, more affronted than panicked now.

“You’re telling me that you run around in a leather suit saving Paris in your free time?” Nino asked skeptically.

“Yes,” Adrien huffed.

“Dude,” Nino said.

“Look, I can prove it,” Adrien said, standing up from the couch so fast that he almost careened into Juleka. Nino turned his skeptical look to Juleka, but she just raised her hands and sat down with her plate of food. She was just moral support at this point. She was not responsible for fixing this mess of a reveal.

“Go ahead, man,” Nino said, gesturing grandly and sitting back, fully skeptical and ready to disprove Adrien’s claim.

“Plagg, come on out,” Adrien said.

“’Sup,” Plagg said as he rose above the cheese cart, wedge of some sort of cheese (he’d probably already finished the camembert) in hand.

“Holy crap,” Nino said, scrambling back onto the couch. “What the _hell_ is that?”

“I’m a kwami,” Plagg said, sounding incredibly bored. “Magical being. Very powerful. Help this idiot transform into Chat Noir.”

“Holy _crap_ ,” Nino said again, his eyes bugging out of his head as he stared at Plagg.

“Plagg, claws out,” Adrien said, watching Nino smugly. Plagg sighed loudly as he was dragged into Adrien’s ring, his cheese dropping to the floor. Green light flowed over Adrien’s body, leaving Chat Noir in its wake.

“ _Holy crap_ ,” Nino breathed, staring at Chat so hard that Juleka half expected his eyes to fall out of his head. “ _Holy_ \- You’re Chat Noir. You’re _actually_ Chat Noir.”

“Yup,” Chat said smugly, planting his hands on his hips and puffing his chest out.

“My best friend is Chat Noir,” Nino said, running his hand over his head and not even noticing when he knocked his hat off.

“The one and only,” Chat said, spreading his arms and taking a little bow. Juleka didn’t bother to hide her snort. He turned and grinned at her, offering a wink that was lightyears away from the panicked mess he’d been mere minutes before. Juleka just rolled her eyes and nodded her head at Nino, who had taken up Adrien’s fish routine.

“Plagg, claws in,” Chat said. The green light rippled over his body again and Adrien carefully sat down next to Nino.

“You okay?” Adrien asked carefully. Nino gaped at him for a moment longer.

“Okay?” Nino finally asked, his voice deadly quiet and eerily devoid of emotion. Adrien nervously glanced over at Juleka before nodding hesitantly. “Dude…I’m great! This is awesome!” Nino suddenly snapped out of his shocked stillness, his arms flying up like he was on a roller coaster, his face breaking into a grin.

“It is?” Adrien asked excitedly, a grin spreading across his face to match Nino’s.

“Duh! My best friend is a superhero; how cool is that?” Nino asked, bouncing on the couch like he couldn’t sit still. It was the most energetic Juleka had seen him since he’d been akumatized. “How do you do it, man? All the fighting and the saving and everything.”

“I don’t know. I’m pretty sure most of the fighting skills come from the Miraculous,” Adrien said, holding up his hand and pointing at his ring. Nino squinted at it with a fascinated expression. “But I just have to. It’s my responsibility to keep everyone safe,” Adrien said with a shrug, like it was a normal teenage thing to save the city several times a week.

_Why didn’t you save us?_

The words echoed through Juleka’s head quick and painful like lightning and she shook them away just as quickly. That wasn’t what was important right now, that didn’t matter right now, this was about _Adrien_ , it was _his_ responsibility-

“You don’t seem very surprised,” Nino said. It took Juleka a moment to realize that both Adrien and Nino were looking at her. Adrien looked a little concerned.

“I’ve known for months,” Juleka said, putting on her best amused face and hoping it would be enough to soothe Adrien’s worry.

“ _Months_?” Nino asked incredulously. Then he turned to Adrien, looking a little hurt for the first time. “You told her first?” Nino asked, his voice a little too quiet, a little unsure.

“No, no, no, it wasn’t like that,” Adrien said quickly, reaching out, but stopping before he touched Nino.

“It’s okay, dude. I’m sure you had a good reason,” Nino said lightheartedly. But Juleka could see a trace of pain and guilt in his face.

“It wasn’t like that because I figured it out on my own,” Juleka said before Adrien could say something massively unhelpful.

“You figured it out?” Nino asked, his face clearing almost immediately. When he looked over at Juleka, his expression was mostly awe. “How? I’m his best friend and I didn’t suspect a thing.”

“He was never where he was supposed to be,” Juleka said with a shrug. She looked over at Adrien with a sly, smug smile. “And then I kept catching him transforming.”

“Am I ever going to live that down?” Adrien groaned.

“Never,” Juleka said.

“Oh my god, this explains _so much_ ,” Nino said, looking off into the distance like all the secrets of the universe had been revealed.

“Like what?” Adrien asked, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

“Dude,” Nino said, returning from the realm of secrets to give Adrien a Look. “No one needs to use the bathroom that much. I was getting ready to tell you to go to a doctor or something.” Juleka snorted and Adrien shot her a halfhearted glare.

“Is that how you two became friends?” Nino asked, drawing their attention back to him. “You bonded over superhero stuff?”

“More or less,” Juleka said. Adrien grinned at her fondly and she punched his shoulder.

“Dude, I have so many questions,” Nino said, shaking his head at the two of them.

“I can probably answer all of them,” Adrien said with a smug smile. “And if I can’t, Juleka probably can.”

“Juleka knows things about superhero stuff that you don’t?” Nino asked, turning that awed expression on Juleka again. She ducked her head so that her bangs fell in front of her face.

“Juleka knows everything,” Adrien said matter-of-factly.

“No, I don’t,” Juleka said. Adrien rolled his eyes at her like _she_ was being the idiot this time. Then he turned back to Nino.

“Before you start with the questions,” Adrien said slowly, sitting up straighter and raising his shoulders a bit. His face turned serious as he looked at Nino. “I just need to make sure you know you can’t tell anyone about any of this.”

“Dude, I would never,” Nino said quickly, holding his hands up, his face earnest. “I know how important the secret identity is. All the comic books make a big deal about it.”

“Good,” Adrien said, his face relaxing into a happy smile again.

“Oh, crap,” Nino said, going from earnest to horrified, his head dropping into his hands. “I’m gonna have to hide this from Alya, aren’t I? Oh, god, I’m gonna be single in, like, two weeks, _tops_.”

“Single?” Adrien asked innocently. Juleka shook her head at both of them.

“Oh, _crap_ ,” Nino said, looking even more horrified as his head flew out of his hands to stare at Adrien. “Crap, you weren’t supposed to know.”

“Know what?” Adrien asked, batting his eyelashes. Juleka rolled her eyes.

“That Alya and I-” Nino stopped abruptly, his distress morphing into suspicion as he examined Adrien’s oh-so-innocent face. Then his jaw dropped. “Holy crap, you _knew_.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Nino,” Adrien said, much too happily to be anything but guilty.

“You knew that Alya and I were dating and you didn’t _say_ anything,” Nino said, pointing an accusing finger in Adrien’s face.

“Okay, okay,” Adrien laughed, holding his hands up in surrender. “I might have caught on that you guys had finally gotten together.”

“Oh my-” Nino said, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “You know. Juleka knows. Pretty much everyone knows. Except Marinette.”

“Marinette knows too,” Adrien supplied helpfully. Nino stared at him for a moment. Then he collapsed back against the couch in defeat.

“Perfect. We’ve been eating ourselves alive with guilt for weeks for _no reason_ ,” Nino sighed. “I guess it doesn’t matter now. Since Alya is going to break up with me once she realizes that I’m keeping something from her and won’t tell her what.”

“You don’t need to worry about that,” Adrien said comfortingly, patting Nino’s shoulder comfortingly.

“Don’t need to worry?” Nino asked, his voice almost shrill. “Dude, that girl is terrifyingly good at spotting lies. I cannot keep _anything_ from her. She’s gonna notice and I’m gonna refuse to tell her and everything’s gonna go to crap.” Nino heaved a dramatic sigh and Juleka wondered whether he and Adrien practiced those together. “I really liked her.”

“You don’t need to worry because Alya is going to find out too,” Juleka said.

“You’re gonna tell Alya?” Nino asked, his face lighting up with hope. “Oh, thank god. I’d gladly ruin my relationship for you, bro, but I was not looking forward to it.”

“Thanks, Nino,” Adrien said drily, patting Nino’s shoulder again.

“Why didn’t you just tell her at the same time?” Nino asked. “Would have been so much more convenient.” Adrien exchanged an amused glance with Juleka.

“Oh, Marinette wanted to be the one to tell her,” Adrien said slyly.

“Marinette knows too?” Nino asked, his eyes widening. “Aw, come on, man. Why am I the _last one_?”

“Well, I had to ask Ladybug before I told anyone else,” Adrien said significantly.

“Yeah, I get that,” Nino said, still in full pout. “But I’m better bros with you than Marinette.” Adrien blinked at him. Then he looked over at Juleka, who just shrugged and kept munching on cheese balls, and back at Nino.

“I had to ask _Ladybug_ ,” Adrien said.

“Yeah, dude, you said,” Nino said. “And then you told Marinette before telling me.”

“No, I told _Ladybug_ ,” Adrien said.

“Dude, I heard you the first time,” Nino said, going from put out to annoyed. “Ladybug, then Marinette, then me.”

“No, _Nino_ -” Adrien said, cutting himself off with a palm to his forehead. He turned to Juleka. “I apologize for every conversation you’ve ever had with me.”

“Apology accepted,” Juleka said, reaching over him to grab a handful of cheese balls from the forgotten bowl next to Nino.

“What am I missing here?” Nino asked, looking between the two of them and waiting for an explanation.

“I didn’t tell Marinette my identity _after_ telling Ladybug my identity,” Adrien said slowly.

“Wait, you told her first?” Nino asked. “That’s messed up.”

“Oh my- I didn’t tell her _after_ , because Marinette found out when Ladybug did,” Adrien said, watching Nino, waiting for him to make any sort of connection. Nino blinked at him. Then narrowed his eyes.

“Like…a joint reveal?”

“Nino, Marinette _is_ Ladybug,” Adrien said in a rush. Nino blinked at him again. And then his eyes widened.

“Oh, holy _shit_ , you’re _both_ superheroes??” Nino asked incredulously.

“ _Yes_ ,” Adrien breathed, sitting back with an air of exhaustion. Juleka wiped off her fingers and patted him on the shoulder.

“Have you known that you were both in the same class this _whole time_?” Nino asked, looking like everything had been turned upside down all over again.

“Um, no,” Adrien said, smiling his sheepish smile and rubbing at his neck.

“I have,” Juleka said, raising her hand.

“Yeah, yeah, you know everything.”

“Do not.”

“So, is that why you two started acting differently?” Nino asked tentatively, trying not to get something wrong. Again. “Because you found out that you were each other’s super cool superhero partners?”

“Yes,” Adrien said.

“Kind of,” Juleka smirked. Adrien put a hand to his chest and looked over at Juleka in complete and utter betrayal.

“Kind of?” Nino asked, raising an eyebrow at Adrien. Adrien groaned, hiding his face in his hands and slumping back against the couch.

“As I said earlier, Adrien’s still trying to deal with his feelings,” Juleka said sagely.

“Feelings?” Nino asked, a wide grin spreading across his face. He looked over at Adrien with all the glee of a kid whose Christmas had come early. “Oh, _right_. You have a big fat crush on Ladybug, don’t you? And now that you know that _Marinette_ is Ladybug…”

“Now he won’t stop whining about it,” Plagg said, choosing that moment to float back into the conversation. Nino watched him zip over and come to a rest on Juleka’s knee with wide eyes.

“Does Marinette have one of those too?” Nino asked, jabbing a finger at Plagg.

“Yeah, she does have ‘one of those,’” Plagg said, annoyance evident in his voice and on his face.

“Sorry, little dude. Didn’t mean to offend,” Nino said, leaning away with his hands up, his voice just a little too high.

“Make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Plagg said imperiously. Adrien rolled his eyes at Plagg before turning back to Nino.

“Marinette’s kwami is called Tikki,” Adrien said.

“Woah,” Nino said. He watched Plagg dart over to the cheese balls, take one, and examine it dubiously before shoving it in his mouth. He shook his head in wonder, his gaze wandering back up to Adrien and Juleka. “This is crazy.”

“Tell me about it,” Juleka said. Adrien just grinned at them both, even sparing a smile for Plagg.

“No, tell _me_ about it,” Nino said, leaning forward and putting his elbows on his knees, snacks and girlfriends and everything else forgotten. “I want to know _everything_.”

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Juleka walked down the street towards her apartment, her phone ringing against her ear as she waited for Marinette to pick up. It rang for a while before finally going to voicemail. Juleka sighed as the message played, but wasn’t especially surprised that Marinette hadn’t picked up. It was kind of late. Hours had passed before Nino finally ran out of questions to ask, and even more had passed before Juleka and Nino left Adrien’s house, stomachs full of good food (couldn’t let it go to waste; a variety of substitute parental figures had raised her _right_ ) and their chemistry homework done and double checked.

So, it wasn’t all that strange that Juleka got Marinette’s answering machine. The girl was probably tired. She’d probably gone to bed early.

“Hey, Marinette. It’s Juleka,” Juleka said once the beep sounded, shrill and annoying in her ear. “I just wanted to check in, I guess. Adrien asked me to help him tell Nino. He’ll probably tell you about it soon if he hasn’t already. He said you were planning to tell Alya soon. If you want help or advice or something, um, you know where to find me, I guess. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.” Juleka hung up the phone and put it in her pocket. She looked up at the stars, sparse due to the Parisian lights, but beautiful all the same, somehow sharpened by the cold, at least in Juleka’s mind.

Juleka hadn’t really _expected_ anything to go wrong, but if she’d learned anything being the go to problem solver for a pair of superheroes, it was that sometimes things didn’t go exactly as expected and she was glad that the conversation had worked out so well. In the end, Nino had left mindblown, but ecstatic, and dedicated to keeping the secret. And Adrien was relieved and happy. And Marinette was going to tell Alya. Slowly, but surely, the web of secrets that Juleka had gotten tangled up in was unraveling in the best possible way.

There was still Rose, on the outside. But maybe if this worked out, with Nino and Alya, maybe Adrien and Marinette would be open to Juleka telling Rose. It didn’t feel like it was Juleka’s secret to tell no matter what anyone said, but…

Juleka put the matter aside for the moment. They needed to get through Nino and Alya before Juleka could even think about bringing up a whole list of other people that should be brought into the fold. That was a problem for another day. Right now everything was okay.

Juleka was okay.

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Juleka woke up crying.

And then she let out a huff of frustration and annoyance and any other negative emotions that wanted to tag along, because this was supposed to be _done_.

She’d gone to bed the night before happy and unworried. She’d helped Adrien with Nino. She’d had the heart to heart with Master Fu, she’d left feeling better, she’d dealt with the issue, she was supposed to be _fixed_. Master Fu said she wasn’t being selfish, this wasn’t her responsibility, she didn’t have to _worry_ , she didn’t-

So why was she sitting here gasping, phantom hands pulling at her skin, the ghost of an impossible weight sitting on her back? Why-

An insistent knock rang out from the front door, dragging Juleka to the present and making her realize that she’d been woken up, not by her alarm as she normally was, but by the knocking. Juleka vaulted out of bed and ran to the door, opening it to a confused looking Rose.

“Juleka?” Rose asked, her hand still raised to knock again.

“Woke up late, one second, sorry!” Juleka said, already running back to her room to throw on clothes. She scrabbled in her bed for her phone (how did she always lose it, always) and came up with a dead device, which explained why Juleka hadn’t been awakened by her alarm. She tossed it in her bag with a huff of annoyance and went about the speediest getting-ready process she had ever executed. She was back at the door, clothes on, bag packed, hair brushed, and breathless within five minutes.

“How did you do that?” Rose asked in wonder, holding out a croissant as Juleka closed and locked the door.

“Do what?” Juleka asked distractedly as she put away her keys and grabbed the croissant.

“Get ready so fast,” Rose giggled. Juleka stopped for a moment to smile at her. They weren’t so late that she couldn’t take a moment to appreciate her too-cute-to-be-fair girlfriend.

“Magic,” Juleka said with a waggle of her eyebrows. “Come on. If we leave now, we won’t be late.” She held her free hand out to Rose and pulled her down the stairs with her. The rest of the walk to school passed normally. They chatted and laughed and were generally cute. The sky was blue and the weather was fair and everything seemed right with the world. Sure, Juleka had had that stupid nightmare that was supposed to be _gone_ and sure, she’d woken up late. But Rose was holding her hand. Everything was okay.

 

Juleka knew, as soon as she stepped into the classroom, that everything was not okay. Not just because the room felt off, which it did.

Mostly because Marinette was a mess.

Her eyes were rimmed red, her chin resting heavily on her hand, black bags sitting under her eyes, her hair a wreck. Her face was so devoid of emotion that her misery was obvious. She simply sat in her seat, her eyes fixed on the table in front of her, unmoving.

Juleka looked from Marinette to Adrien and Nino, who, for once, were in their seats before Juleka and Rose. Adrien looked crushed and worried and lost, looking up at Juleka with newly perfected kitty eyes. Nino didn’t seem much better, but he looked more conflicted, glancing between Marinette and his phone. He too looked up at Juleka, silently pleading for help. Juleka shifted her gaze to Marinette, who was still just sitting there like a statue, then back to Adrien. He shook his head slightly. Juleka took the cue and pulled Rose with her towards their table.

She paused next to Marinette, just briefly, and gently touched her shoulder. Marinette finally moved then, looking up at Juleka with lifeless eyes. She dredged up a small smile for her, a pitiful shadow of an expression that made Juleka want to drag her out of the classroom and make it better. But now was not the time. So, Juleka continued on to her table with Rose and Marinette went back to staring down at nothing.

Juleka looked around the classroom as she sat down, taking in the strange atmosphere. She had never paid much attention to it before, the omnipresent joy that Marinette exuded. It was just kind of there. This force of happiness that she just _breathed_. Without it, the classroom felt off, weird, _wrong_. Or maybe it was more because that joy had been replaced by a heavy sadness that affected the whole room. Almost everyone was already in their seats, but the room was still strangely quiet, save for a few whispers. Even Chloe was keeping her voice down, not taking the opportunity to mock Marinette.

The one student who wasn’t there yet?

Alya.

“Marinette looks so sad,” Rose whispered, concern creasing her brow as she looked down at her. “Do you know what’s wrong?” Juleka shrugged, but didn’t offer any information. She didn’t _know_ what was wrong, but she had a pretty good guess. Marinette miserable and Alya absent? Juleka was ninety percent sure that something had happened between them and it was probably at least partially related to the Super Secret. But that wasn’t something she could share with Rose, so she bit her tongue and turned to start some sort of conversation, something to take attention off Marinette…

Or she would have if the universe hadn’t decided to prove Juleka right.

Alya blew into the classroom like a one-woman hurricane, her face set, her bag whipping, her walk so determined that Kim automatically moved out of her way. Everyone knew that when Alya walked like this, it was best to either get out of her way or do what she said. Juleka was a big fan of the get-out-of-her-way option, but she wasn’t lucky enough to get that choice this particular morning. Without the slightest glance at Marinette, which told Juleka pretty much everything she needed to know, Alya whisked towards the top of the classroom, stopping next to Rose and Juleka’s table. Rose looked up at Alya in surprise. Juleka looked up in trepidation.

“Jules!” Alya said, her voice a little too loud in the quiet classroom, a little too cheerful. Juleka saw Marinette flinch out of the corner of her eye.

“Yes?” Juleka asked, looking up at the force of nature that was Alya from underneath her bangs. Hiding would hardly help her now, but it felt good to try.

“Can I have a moment?” Alya asked. Well, it was phrased like a question, but anyone who knew her well enough knew that when Alya wanted a moment, she got a moment. There was still a bit of time before class started (not that that seemed to matter to Alya), so Juleka rose from her seat. As soon as she hit the aisle, Alya grabbed her arm and started off, dragging Juleka behind her. Juleka just managed to give Marinette a small smile as she was pulled past her, wishing that it was enough to erase the stricken expression from her face.

Alya continued to pull Juleka along, expertly dodging students trying to get to class on time or just bowling them over in some cases, until she found an empty classroom. She dragged her inside and closed the door behind them, finally releasing Juleka as she glanced around, peering out the windows, around the corner of the desk and tables.

“So,” Alya said, finally turning to Juleka with her arms crossed, apparently satisfied with the space. “Marinette says that you know.”

“That I know what?” Juleka asked. She wasn’t about to start discussing secrets before she knew for sure that they were both talking about the same thing.

“That she spends her free time saving Paris in a skin-tight, polka-dotted suit,” Alya said with an impressive eye roll.

“Yes,” Juleka said. Alya stared at her, silence stretching between them. Juleka was pretty sure she knew what had happened. Between Marinette’s red-eyed distress and Alya’s determined cold shoulder, it wasn’t hard to piece together: Alya was not reacting well to the reveal. What Juleka _didn’t_ know was what Alya wanted from _her_.

“Well?” Alya asked, her voice almost harsh. In fact, anyone else might have interpreted it as hostile. But Juleka caught the shine in Alya’s eyes, the tremble she was trying to quell in the tight crossing of her arms, the nervous tapping of her foot.

“Well what?” Juleka asked carefully, bracing herself.

“Well, how did you figure it out?” Alya cried, exasperated hands flying from her armpits to gesture wildly.

“She was never where she was supposed to be,” Juleka said softly, knowing that now was the time for softness, when Alya was so close to shattering.

“Oh, so you just kept track of her whereabouts, huh? Better than her best friend?” Alya asked, obviously fighting to keep her voice down, hands flying up in agitation again as she began pacing.

“So that’s why,” Juleka murmured, then immediately regretted when Alya spun towards her.

“That’s why what?” Alya asked, a scowl crossing her face.

“That’s why you’re so angry,” Juleka said. Alya froze. “Because you didn’t see it.”

“I’m angry because my best friend has been lying to me for ages,” Alya hissed. “Because every time I talked to her about Ladybug, she knew. She knew and she played dumb.”

“She had good reasons, Alya,” Juleka said gently, leaning against a table as Alya resumed pacing. The buzz of conversation in the hall outside indicated that they had some time left before class started. Not that Juleka particularly cared when it started now. This was more important.

“Good _reasons_?” Alya asked, her voice edging on hysterical. “I’m her best friend. What reasons could possibly be good enough to lie to me?”

“You run a blog dedicated to Ladybug,” Juleka started, trying to find a way to make this make sense to a girl who obviously was not interested in seeing sense.

“Yeah. And the whole time she’s just been sitting right next to me, basking in the adoration,” Alya fumed. Juleka sighed.

“The biggest thing you talk about on your blog is Ladybug’s real identity,” Juleka said pointedly.

“Which my best friend knew the answer to the entire time,” Alya snapped.

“Okay, forget for a moment the truth that we know,” Juleka said, resisting the urge to reach out and shake her.

“But-”

“Did you ever consider how that would affect the girl behind the mask?” Juleka demanded. “If you managed to reveal who she was? Did you ever stop to think about how that might hurt her?”

“Hurt her?” Alya asked, surprised out of her righteous anger. She stopped pacing, staring at Juleka wide-eyed.

“Say you unmasked Ladybug on your blog,” Juleka said, reminding herself to stay soft. This would be sharp enough with her tone adding to the pain. “Everyone would know who Ladybug is. Including Hawkmoth. He’d be able to target Ladybug twenty-four seven, not just when she chose to put on the mask. He could send akumas straight to her home, to her school. She could beef up her own security, sure. But could she protect her family all the time? All of her friends?”

“I- I never considered that,” Alya said, deflating.

“Is it so surprising that Ladybug would see your blog, your attempts to unmask her, and choose not to tell you who she is?” Juleka asked as gently as she could.

The bell rang for the start of class. Both girls ignored it.

“No, I guess...she wouldn’t want to trust me,” Alya said at last, crossing her arms again. This time, the act was more defensive than aggressive. Like she was trying to hug herself. She looked back up at Juleka, and she could see the hurt in her eyes. “But I’m her best friend. Surely she knew that if she just explained it to me…”

“You’re right,” Juleka said. “Marinette knows you better than to think she couldn’t trust you, reporter or no. But there are a hundred other factors.” Juleka held up a hand and started ticking off reasons on each finger. “You could start acting differently once you knew, that difference echoing in your blog. You could accidentally say something. You could act a little too friendly with Ladybug. All of which could lead to _you_ getting targeted.”

“But I wouldn’t-” Alya said.

“I’m not saying they’re all very _complimentary_ ,” Juleka said, smiling softly. Alya didn’t smile back. “But they are good reasons. And honestly, I think the fact you should be focusing on is not the fact that she didn’t tell you before. What seems important to me is that she _chose_ to tell you now.”

“Oh,” Alya said quietly, her eyes widening, her shoulders relaxing slightly

“Yup,” Juleka said. “After all, she could have just left you in the dark forever. But she came to the realization that you _are_ trustworthy and you _would_ keep the secret if your best friend asked you to. She decided that she trusted you to keep her secret.” Juleka hesitated then, watching Alya’s face carefully. She looked lost and sad and she was thinking hard about what Juleka had said. Juleka wasn’t sure if she should keep going, but the image of Marinette’s face, devastated and lifeless, was bright in her mind. She’d heard Marinette cry about this too many times.

“You know what else she trusted you to do?” Juleka asked after Alya had had a moment to think. Alya, eyes still wide, hand still clutching her ribs, shook her head. Juleka sighed a little, hating the way this girl, normally so sure, normally so confident, normally so much larger than life, was reduced to hugging herself in bewildered silence. Juleka sighed, knowing that she was about to make it worse.

“Marinette trusted you to accept her,” Juleka said, looking Alya in the eye. Her eyebrows furrowed briefly before they rose again in understanding. Her eyes watered as she realized.

“Oh god, she trusted me,” Alya said, words finally tumbling from her mouth as her hands pried themselves free from her ribs only to bury themselves in her hair. “She must think I’m so disappointed that Ladybug turned out to be her. She’s always going on about how Ladybug must be just a normal girl under the mask…”

“Because she’s afraid that people would be disappointed to find out that Ladybug is just Marinette,” Juleka finished, nodding her head slowly. Alya began pacing again.

“And with what I said last night…” Alya stopped moving as quickly as she had started, groaning, her hands slipping from her hair down onto her face. “My reaction last night must have been her worst nightmare. Everything she was afraid to hear just vomiting out of my stupid mouth.” The room was silent now. The halls had cleared with all the students in their classrooms. Juleka could hear Alya’s muffled sniffles loud and clear.

“How could I not know?” Alya whispered. “She’s my best friend. How could I not know that she was Ladybug? Forget that, how could I not know how much I would hurt her? I am the worst friend.”

Juleka left her perch at the table, her steps slow, her hands hesitant, approaching Alya much as she would a frightened animal. When the girl didn’t react, Juleka softly touched her shoulder. She strengthened her grip when she felt Alya trembling.

“As for not knowing she was Ladybug,” Juleka said slowly. She didn’t know how much of this was hers to share, but she felt that it was the right thing to say. “There’s magic that keeps their identities secret. That’s not your fault. And with the rest, people make mistakes. That doesn't make you the worst anything.” Alya stayed quiet for a long moment. Then she finally dropped her hands from her face, meeting Juleka’s gaze with teary eyes.

“I feel like I don’t know anything anymore,” Alya said, her voice broken and quiet. Her eyes, trapping Juleka’s, were wide and desperate.

“How do I fix this, Juleka?” Alya asked

Juleka had to take a moment to breathe, because she had never expected to be in this position. Alya was the strongest, most capable (well, the third strongest and most capable, but everyone has to make adjustments where superheroes are concerned) person that Juleka knew. And Juleka…well, Juleka was Juleka. Sure, she spent a lot of her time counseling superheroes these days, but that didn’t mean she’d ever expected to be the person people came to for advice.

“You could always try talking to her,” Juleka said with a shrug, fighting the urge to hide behind her bangs. “Sorry can go a long way.”

“How could she forgive me for what I’ve said?” Alya asked, her whole body drooping.

“Okay, why do you people keep underestimating her?” Juleka asked, exasperation leaking into her voice. Alya’s eyes widened a little at the unexpected edge. “Yes, Marinette is secretly a superhero, but she’s still Marinette. The girl _became_ a superhero because she was too damn nice to let people get hurt. And you think she’s not going to forgive you for being upset that she lied to you, which she’s been expecting you to do this entire time?” Juleka asked. When Alya just blinked at her, Juleka mentally dialed it back a notch. Alya’s world had just been turned upside down after all.

“I know this is crazy,” Juleka said gently. “You’re re-evaluating everything she’s ever said to you. You’re wondering if she’s the same girl. But she is. She really is.”

“I’ve never fought with that girl before,” Alya said quietly, looking away. Juleka sighed and decided to shift gears. Otherwise, they were going to be there all period.

“Well, the way I see it, you have two choices,” Juleka said. Alya perked up a little bit, turning back towards her. “You could give up on forgiveness and never talk to your best friend ever again, leaving her to stew in her own thoughts and guilt and feelings of inadequacy.” Alya visibly paled at that suggestion. Juleka continued quickly. “ _Or_ you could say you’re sorry and actually _talk_ to her like a normal person and hope for the best.” Alya nodded shakily, a hesitant smile crossing her face. Juleka could see the determination seeping back into her and she welcomed it back with a smile of her own.

“When did you get so wise?” Alya asked, chuckling a little as she wiped at her cheeks.

“Just because you didn’t see it, doesn’t mean it wasn’t there,” Juleka said with her eyebrow raised and her smile softening the rebuke. Alya managed another weak laugh at that.

“Fair enough,” Alya said, eyeing Juleka as if she was seeing her in an entirely new light. Juleka felt Alya’s eyes on her head as she tilted her gaze to her feet, allowing her hair to form a curtain between them.

“Come on, girl,” Alya said at last, turning away and waving at Juleka. “We should probably get back to class.” Juleka nodded and followed, glad that this time, she wasn’t going to be dragged to their destination.

When they walked into the classroom, every eye turned to them for a moment and Juleka felt like she had been thrust into a spotlight. No matter how many times it happened, Juleka still hated it and she froze in the doorway under the curious glances. Alya bumped her shoulder softly and smiled at her before heading towards her normal seat next to Marinette. Juleka forcibly relaxed her muscles as most of her classmates turned their attention back to the lecture and headed towards her own seat. Before she went, she managed to catch Alya’s tentative smile and Marinette’s hopeful one in return.

When Juleka got to their table, Rose was giving her a look that was at once curious and concerned. Juleka sighed, knowing that she’d probably have to find a way to explain what just happened, probably with a whole mountain of half-truths. But for now, she settled for a smile and small head shake that didn’t quite kill Rose’s concern, but at least alleviated it. And when Juleka had sat down and gotten out her tablet, she glanced back down at Marinette and Alya in time to see Marinette look over her shoulder at her with a bewildered smile.

 _Thank you_ , she mouthed before turning her head back to the front. Juleka smiled as both Marinette and Alya pretended to pay attention to Ms. Bustier whilst fidgeting nervously in their seats, glancing over at each other again and again. They could worry all they wanted, but Juleka knew that they would always find a way back to one another somehow. She shook her head and turned her attention to the lesson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, the scene with Alya was one of the first things I ever wrote for this fic. I had to change it a bunch because that was 200k words ago, but I was surprised it still fit at all.
> 
>  
> 
> Next: Miracusquad assemble.


	28. Miracusquad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juleka and friends deal with the aftermath of the reveals.

Somehow, everyone managed to make it through the first half of the day completely intact.

There were some touch and go moments, like when Alya and Marinette spent all of study hall whispering intensely and emerged an hour later looking slightly rung out, but much happier. Or when Ms. Bustier called Adrien and Nino out on paying more attention to the girls behind them than the board in front of them. Or when Rose looked up at Juleka with wide eyes during a passing period and asked her if everything was okay and Juleka responded _yes_ and was only seventy-five percent sure it was the truth like she normally was these days.

But at long last, the lunch bell rang, shrill and loud and heavenly.

“Going home again today?” Juleka asked Rose as they slid their tablets back into their bags.

“Yes,” Rose sighed, pouting down at Juleka as she stood. However, she brightened almost immediately, her pout transfiguring into a smile, brilliant and happy and sweet. “But Maman said I could come over to your house after school today. I have check in at home first, but I can stay for dinner and everything.”

“Awesome,” Juleka said, helpless to do anything but smile back at her. “Shall I prepare a feast for you?” She gave Rose a little bow that made her giggle.

“I thank you for the kind offer, m’lady, but I was thinking we could just cook something simple together,” Rose said hopefully, moving down the stairs slowly, as if she could put off their separation, as if she didn’t have to be home by a certain time. “Maybe we could make those truffles we kept talking about, but never got around to. The orange-camembert ones?”

“I used the ingredients to make cookies, but I could pick up some more,” Juleka said.

“Sounds great,” Rose decided, giving up the pretense of stalling and hopping down the last few steps to look back up at Juleka with a smile. “It’s a date?”

“It’s a date,” Juleka confirmed, warmth pooling in her stomach and gathering in her cheeks as she smiled back at her girlfriend.

“And, um, you’re still taken care of for lunch?” Rose asked, her smile fading a little as worry edged into her face. Normally the answer to that was easy, but this time Juleka hesitated. With everything that had happened that morning…However, when she looked over at the door, she found four teenagers casually waiting for her.

“I’m set,” Juleka said as she nodded at them.

“Oh, wonderful,” Rose said, waving happily at the group hanging by the door. “I was worried that with whatever was going on…” Rose trailed off, uncertainty and curiosity and worry all flooding into her face. Juleka saw the moment she pushed it all back under a mask of cheerfulness. “Anyways, I’m glad you still have a place to go for lunch. I’ll see you after, okay?” She blushed as she looked back up at Juleka, but pushed forward to press a kiss to her lips anyways.

“Later, Rose,” Juleka said, watching her bustle off with a smile tugging at her lips that was only slightly regretful.

“How do you two manage to be so cute?” Alya demanded as Juleka drifted over to them, watching Juleka watch Rose with an amused expression on her face.

“Trade secret,” Juleka said, shrugging nonchalantly as she inserted herself into the group, taking up the place they’d left for her between Nino and Marinette.

“I bet they secretly leech all of the cuteness out of puppies and spray it on like perfume,” Nino said, sharing a grin with Adrien across the circle.

“Like Rose would let anybody hurt a puppy,” Juleka snorted. “What are we doing for lunch?”

“Dupain-Cheng house?” Alya suggested, her voice a little too tentative, her shoulders rising in a helpless shrug.

“My parents are miracle workers, but even they can’t whip up lunch for four extra people on short notice,” Marinette pointed out gently. Her voice was different than usual, Juleka noticed, tinged with an edge of exhaustion and sadness that would likely take more than an hour of talking to solve. And she still looked like a mess, her eyes red, the bags under them prominent. But there was a light in her face that had been absent earlier and a tentative smile on her lips that had been hard won if the tense whispering of the study hall period was anything to go by.

“We can go to my place,” Adrien suggested. “Short notice won’t be too big of a deal.” He was standing a little closer to Marinette than he normally would have, almost protective in the way he stood between her and Alya. Juleka could see that he had a hand pressed to her back, his thumb moving in little circles.

“Sounds good to me,” Nino said brightly. Almost too bright, crafted to gloss over the tension.

“Let’s go,” Juleka said, starting towards the door so that the ducklings would follow. “Adrien’s starving.”

“Hey,” Adrien said, his indignant voice flying past her as he fell in behind her.

“Is she wrong?” Alya and Marinette asked in unison, their voices carrying the same amusement. There was a tense pause and Juleka could practically feel them look at one another. Then they laughed. They were strange laughs, too loud and too forced. But they broke the tension, and soon enough Nino and Adrien were laughing too and even Juleka contributed a chuckle to the cause.

Piece by piece, they were coming back together, finding new ways to fit into old places, floundering for a new equilibrium. In just twenty-four hours, a lot had changed, for some of them more than others, and no one was under the illusion that anything was back to normal just yet. Juleka didn’t miss the little flashes of pain from half-healed wounds, playing across faces like lightning bugs on a summer afternoon. She didn’t miss the way Adrien smoothly inserted himself between Marinette and the world or the way Alya tensed when she noticed.

But the way they squabbled over who was getting shotgun in Adrien’s car felt normal and safe and the laughter became more and more natural as Adrien claimed that it was _his_ car and Nino said that it was his _dad’s_ car and Marinette argued exhaustion and Alya devoutly supported a rock-paper-scissors tournament. And when Juleka solved the problem by getting into the front seat while they were still debating, the way they ribbed her was soft and easy, kind of like they hadn’t almost torn themselves apart.

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“Damn, Agreste,” Alya said, looking around Adrien’s room with wide eyes. “Is that a skateboard ramp?”

“Yup,” Adrien said, leaning against the doorframe and watching her gawk at the space. Juleka moved past him, taking her usual place in the middle of the comfy couch and watching the others look around, even though Alya was the only one that was seeing it for the first time.

“Looks like a health hazard,” Alya said, craning her head at the absurdly steep ramp as she backed further into the room.

“Haven’t hurt myself yet,” Adrien said cheerfully.

“Because that’s such a wonderful endorsement, kitty,” Marinette teased. She walked over to Alya hesitantly, carefully, moving like she was going to step on glass at any moment. Alya looked down from the walls to smile at her reassuringly, if a little too widely, and accepted the gentle shoulder bump she was given with grace. Nino was less careful, striding over to them and throwing his arms around their shoulders.

“I dunno, I think living is a great endorsement,” Nino said, eyeing the ramp with a glint in his eye. Alya turned and gave him an unimpressed look

“No way,” Alya said flatly.

“Aw, come on, babe. I didn’t even say anything,” Nino protested, pouting back at her.

“You didn’t need to,” Marinette said with a soft giggle.

“You are not breaking your neck on Adrien’s skate ramp of death,” Alya said firmly, twirling out from under Nino’s arm and walking away in a clear message of _matter closed_.

“Is it really a ramp of death if no one’s died on it?” Adrien wondered, pushing away from the doorframe to stroll further into the room.

“Yes,” Alya and Marinette said in unison. They paused, just like before, all awkwardness and uncertainty, but it dissolved more quickly this time and when they laughed, it was less forced. Marinette smiled openly enough when Adrien passed her, his hand squeezing her shoulder. He leaned against the back of the sofa, his elbows braced next to Juleka’s head as he watched Alya run her fingers over the wood of the foosball table. Marinette drifted over to her as if she couldn’t resist the orbit of a half-healed friendship.

“So,” Alya said, idly turning one of the handles. The mood in the room shifted immediately. Marinette froze next to Alya, watching her like a mouse watches a cat. Nino fidgeted halfway between the couch and the foosball table, his eyes darting from face to face, his hands reaching out in aborted movements as he tried to figure out who to support. Adrien stayed where he was leaned against the couch, looking relaxed and unworried. But Juleka could see the edges of his fingers go white where they were twisted together.

“Marinette says you’re Chat Noir,” Alya said simply, one hand toying absently with one of the little foosball figures. Her face when she looked up was unreadable.

“If she says so, it must be true,” Adrien said with an easy grin that didn’t reach his eyes.

“Damn,” Alya said quietly, slowly shaking her head. Adrien tensed, his spine snapping straight and his smile tightening. However, Alya’s inscrutable mask soon broke and her lips quirked up in a shaky smile that made Adrien let out his breath. Alya shook her head again, her smile widening into something that looked more at home on her face. “You know, I photoshopped you as Chat Noir one time.”

“What?” Adrien blurted, the tension in his hands finally releasing as he straightened in surprise.

“I was thinking about Chat Noir and realized you had the right physical features,” Alya explained with a shrug. “I took a photo of you and drew the suit on. You kinda looked like him, but it didn’t feel right for some reason.”

“It didn’t feel right?” Nino asked incredulously. He looked back and forth between Alya and Adrien rapidly from his place still awkwardly hovering between couch and foosball table.

“But I _am_ Chat Noir; how did it not _feel_ right?” Adrien asked, looking bemused.

“Well, it is a little crazy to think that a classmate is a superhero,” Marinette said, her voice too high to pull off the nonchalance she was going for and her eyes fixed firmly on the foosball table. Everyone turned to look at her. Adrien smiled at her softly and with understanding, Nino just seemed confused, and Alya- Juleka saw something happen in Alya’s brain, saw her look at Marinette with a calculating expression, weighing something in her mind. Apparently, whatever she saw in her face was enough because she smiled, mischief flashing bright and happy in her eyes.

“See, Marinette gets it,” Alya said slyly. Marinette blinked at her, unease (well, _more_ unease) edging into her expression. “After all, she said that Adrien was a lot more-” Marinette let out a squeak, diving forward to slap a hand over Alya’s mouth. Alya’s laughter was muffled by the hand, but Marinette couldn’t do anything about the waggling of her eyebrows.

“Um,” Nino said exchanging a surprised glance with Adrien. He tried to exchange one with Juleka as well, but she wasn’t all that surprised so she just shrugged when he looked at her. He looked back to Marinette, who still had her hand over Alya’s mouth and seemed to be pleading with her silently. Juleka wasn’t adept at reading Alya just yet, but it certainly seemed like she wasn’t making any promises.

“You okay, dude?” Nino asked, eyeing the strange exchange.

“Yup! Totally fine,” Marinette squeaked. Nino just looked at her, then flicked his eyes to his captive girlfriend. Marinette hastily let go of Alya and stuck her hands behind her back.

“What were you saying, Alya?” Adrien asked curiously, drifting a little closer.

“Nothing! Absolutely nothing!” Marinette said quickly, raising her hands to wave in front of her and smiling her trust-nothing smile. Adrien raised an eyebrow at her and turned to Alya. She considered him for a moment, her arms crossing over her chest. She threw a glance at Marinette, who had gone back to pleading, before grinning at Adrien smugly.

“If she says so, it must be true,” Alya said. Adrien blinked at her. And then a grin spread across his face and this time it was truly relaxed and slightly approving.

“Okay,” Adrien said with a firm nod.

Juleka wondered what he was answering.

“Okay, good, who wants to meet a kwami?” Marinette asked quickly, moving away from the foosball table and the conversation, sitting down next to Juleka as if she were home base. Adrien came around the couch and took a seat on Marinette’s other side, patting her shoulder as he settled in close to her.

“I’m always down to meet the supernatural beings that grant my friends superpowers,” Alya said. She studied the situation for a moment, a little smile flickering on her lips as she looked at Adrien and Marinette, before coming over and sinking to the ground in front of them, crossing her legs under her. Nino naturally followed, sprawling out next to her on the ground with considerably less grace. And just like that, they were circled up once more.

“You can come out now, guys,” Adrien said, lifting the edge of his over shirt while Marinette snapped open her purse. Tikki popped out first, waving cheerfully at Alya before flying over to Nino.

“Hello, Nino,” Tikki said, folding her hands in front of her delicately. “I’m Tikki.”

“Holy crap,” Nino said quietly, staring down at Tikki with his mouth hanging slightly open. He shook his head and smiled sheepishly. “I mean, uh, hey, dude. Nice to meet you?”

“Nice to meet you too,” Tikki giggled.

“Plagg, come on,” Adrien said sharply, bringing all eyes to him. He rolled his eyes at everyone and returned to addressing his shirt. “Look, you can nap later.” All that came in response was a disgruntled mumble and some silence.

“One moment,” Tikki said, holding up a hand to Alya and Nino before flying over to Adrien. “I’ve got this.”

“Be my guest,” Adrien sighed, holding aside his shirt and sitting back against the couch. Tikki dove inside. It was quiet for a moment aside from the vague murmurings of Tikki and the disgruntled replies of Plagg. It was still as well, save for the strange movements of the kwamis underneath Adrien’s shirt and the awkward glances the humans exchanged. Then Tikki suddenly burst out of Adrien’s shirt, Plagg in tow.

“Tikki,” Plagg complained, hanging sullenly from her hands.

“Come on, Plagg. Just say hi,” Tikki said, releasing Plagg and leaving him hanging in the air. She settled between his ears and peered down at him with a stern look. “She’s important to your holder.”

“Yeah, well, getting with Marinette is important to my holder and he doesn’t seem to be doing anything about _that_ ,” Plagg grumbled.

“Plagg!” Tikki admonished as she slipped off him, worriedly looking back at Adrien and Marinette. Juleka also looked over to see that they were both rapidly turning red. Adrien buried his face in his hands while Marinette just stared at Plagg, her lips parted in surprise. Tikki glared at Plagg, then punched his arm.

“Hey!” Plagg protested, rubbing the sore spot. Tikki just crossed her arms and nodded her head at Adrien, who seemed to be groaning quietly now. “Spots-”

“Plagg,” Tikki said firmly. “Fix it.” Plagg sighed and rolled his shoulders out of his slouched posture. He flew over to Adrien, completely ignoring the shell-shocked Marinette, the observing Juleka, the nervous Nino and Alya. He butted his head against one of Adrien’s hands and stayed there.

“Hey, kid,” Plagg said, softer than Juleka had ever heard him speak to his holder. Adrien’s groaning cut off, but his hands stayed firmly fixed over his face. Juleka could still see the furious blush tinging his ears. Plagg sighed, pressing his head a more firmly into the back of Adrien’s hand. “I’m a little shit and I’m tired and I’m sorry.”

Adrien slowly lowered his hands so that he could look at his kwami. His hands still clamped over the rest of his face, he glanced past Plagg at Tikki, then Nino and Alya. Finally, almost reluctantly, he looked over at Marinette. She jolted when Adrien’s eyes fell on her, but she did it so slightly that if Juleka hadn’t been sitting right next to her, she might not have noticed. They stared at each other for a long moment, their eyes wide and unsure. Then Marinette smiled softly, still surprised and a perhaps little bit panicked, but calm enough for Adrien to finally drop his hands and give her a hesitant smile in return.

“There,” Plagg said smugly, still softer than normal, but definitely closer to his usual attitude. Adrien tried to glare, but he only mustered a very mild pout before giving up and smiling fondly.

“Would you introduce yourself to Alya already?” Adrien asked, exasperated. He leaned into Marinette in a subtle way that absolutely everyone noticed, his blush still staining his cheeks.

“Fine,” Plagg huffed, abruptly zooming over to Alya. He eyed her for a moment and Alya stared right back. “I’m Plagg.”

“Alya,” Alya said with a grin, leaning forward as she stared at Plagg in fascination.

“Yeah, I know,” Plagg said, crossing his arms. He narrowed his eyes at her. Tikki flew over and placed herself between Plagg’s ears again.

“Good kitty,” Tikki said sweetly, patting Plagg’s cheek. He huffed, but his eyes lost their suspicious edge and he very carefully didn’t upset Tikki when he looked up at her.

“You know, you and Tikki are pretty different,” Nino observed, throwing an arm around Alya’s shoulders so that they could ogle the kwamis together.

“It’s almost like we’re different people,” Plagg said flatly.

“We know that,” Alya said calmly, reaching up to take Nino’s hand almost unconsciously as she considered Plagg. “It’s just that Tikki is more…”

“Polite?” Nino suggested.

“Exactly,” Alya said, snapping her fingers at him. Tikki dissolved into giggles and Plagg’s tail twitched in annoyance.

“Hear that, Cat?” Tikki asked teasingly as she scooched forwards to grin down at Plagg. “It’s unanimous. You’re rude.”

“No one said I was rude,” Plagg said, somehow managing to glare at her softly.

“I’m not _that_ polite,” Tikki said, lifting her head to smile smugly at Alya and Nino, who grinned back.

“Yeah, Spots, you are. It’s weird,” Plagg said. He spun (carefully, so that he didn’t unbalance Tikki) to look at Juleka. “Jules agrees with me.”

“Nope,” Juleka said immediately. Everyone (except for Plagg) laughed at that, real, happy, unrestrained laughs free from awkwardness or hesitation.

“I counted on you,” Plagg gasped dramatically.

“You shouldn’t have,” Juleka said with a slight smirk.

“Don’t worry, little dude,” Nino said soothingly. “You’re still pretty awesome. Destruction and stuff.” Plagg turned back to Alya and Nino, brightening a little at the compliment.

Juleka looked over at Adrien and Marinette as Tikki, Plagg, Alya, and Nino began to banter again. The two watched the interaction between their best friends and their kwamis like proud parents. Every now and then one of them would throw in a jab or offer support, but for the most part they sat in silence with happy smiles on their faces. As Juleka watched, Adrien reached between them and gently took Marinette’s hand. She felt Marinette jump, saw her look over at Adrien with eyes full of wonder, like she was being given something precious or rare and perhaps she was. They both turned back to their friends as if something hadn’t just happened between them, but their faces were a bit brighter than they had been before. They betrayed themselves every time.

Juleka wondered how long it would be before they were officially together.

Juleka turned her attention back to the conversation at hand, just in time to meet Alya’s eyes. They shared a secret glance of their own, a simple acknowledgement of what they had just seen. Then Alya looked away, snuggling into Nino’s side and focusing on whatever Plagg was complaining about with a little smile tugging at her lips.

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“Here’s what I want to know,” Alya said later, once the lunch carts had been delivered, each topped with three courses covered by shiny silver domes that Juleka had only seen used in movies. They were still sitting in their loose circle spread across the couch, but Adrien had had extra chairs brought in so that Nino and Alya could sit facing them. Tikki and Plagg had a spot on their own cart with camembert and chocolate chip cookies. Alya waved her fork at the three sitting on the couch. “Marinette said that the Miraculous just showed up one day. But where did they come from?” Adrien and Marinette paused, looking to each other in silent discussion of what they were going to share. Juleka finished chewing a mouthful of truly amazing grilled fish.

“Master Fu.”

Juleka knew as soon as she said it that she shouldn’t have, and the moment of silence that followed as everyone turned to stare at her only confirmed the feeling.

“You know about Master Fu?” Marinette blurted.

“Of course,” Adrien said, throwing his hands up. “She knows _everything_.”

“But how?” Marinette asked, completely bewildered, delicious fish and perfectly seasoned veggies forgotten. “We’ve never told you about him.”

“Not on purpose or anything,” Adrien hastened to assure her. “It just didn’t come up, because we assume that you know everything. Which you _do_.”

“Okay, newbies here,” Alya said, raising a hand. “Who’s Master Fu?” Adrien and Marinette looked at one another again. Then Adrien tilted his head at her.

“Master Fu is the Guardian,” Marinette explained while Adrien stuffed some excellently prepared squash into his mouth. “He takes care of the Miraculous, the kwamis, and their holders.”

“Like Yoda?” Nino asked through a mouthful of potato.

“Yeah, I guess,” Adrien said with a thoughtful expression. “He is pretty Yoda-y.” Juleka didn’t even bother holding back the snort on that one.

“Are you telling me that you guys had training sessions in a swamp?” Alya asked with a teasing smile.

“No,” Marinette replied, sticking her tongue out at Alya who fondly stuck hers out in return. “We didn’t get any training actually. The first time we ever suited up was Stoneheart.” Alya and Nino both stopped and stared.

“That was your first time?” Alya asked incredulously.

“Yeah,” Marinette said, shrugging self-consciously.

“Dude,” Nino said, potato frozen halfway to his mouth. “Woah.”

“But you seemed so…experienced,” Alya said, staring off into the middle distance as she reevaluated all of her Ladybug theories.

“I thought so too,” Adrien said, smiling fondly at Marinette. She ducked her head, toying with a piece of broccoli on her plate.

“I didn’t know what I was doing,” Marinette said as she stabbed the broccoli. “I still don’t half the time.”

“And yet, you kick butt every time, my Lady,” Adrien said softly, reaching over to cover Marinette’s hand with his. Marinette looked up at him, dredging up a smile to match the gentle care in his eyes.

“Yeah, you’re awesome, Marinette,” Nino said, breaking the extremely private moment happening in the middle of everyone. Adrien and Marinette cleared their throats and leaned away from each other, blushes seeping into their cheeks.

“Thank you,” Marinette said shyly, finally eating the piece of broccoli she’d been torturing.

“So, this Fu guy just gave two teenagers superpowers and left them to figure it out for themselves?” Alya asked indignantly, finally returning from the middle distance.

“They had a little bit of help,” Tikki said wryly, from her place on the kwami cart. Plagg was leaning on her, lazily chewing on a wedge of camembert and looking the most content Juleka had ever seen him.

“Sorry, Tikki,” Alya said, wincing at her.

“It’s okay,” Tikki said, darting over to pat Alya’s hand and instantly destroying Plagg’s contentment. “I know it seems strange and unfair. Dump a huge responsibility on a teenager in the middle of a crisis and then disappear. But it’s the way things must be.”

“You mean massively unsafe?” Alya asked with a raised eyebrow.

“The Miraculous have their risks,” Tikki said sadly. Alya didn’t have a response to that, staring down at Tikki with complex emotions flying across her face. Tikki patted her hand once more and returned to her cookie and her position as a pillow for a grumbling Plagg.

“So, this Fu dude just straight up disappeared?” Nino asked.

“I mean, we didn’t even know about him until recently,” Adrien said with a shrug.

“Seems kinda uncool to me,” Nino said, shrugging as he speared another potato.

“How recent is recently?” Alya asked.

“A couple months ago?” Adrien asked, his shoulders rising with uncertainty. He turned back to Marinette. “The kwamis took us to meet him after Volpina, right? When was that?”

“Um,” Marinette said, wincing at whatever was going on in her head.

“Let me check the Ladyblog,” Alya said, pulling out her phone.

“Three months ago,” Juleka said. They all turned to stare at her. Even Alya stopped in the middle of unlocking her phone.

“See?” Adrien burst out. “ _Everything_.”

“It’s just a date,” Juleka said defensively. “It’s not like I’m revealing the secrets of the universe.”

“Does Lila still go to our school?” Nino asked absently.

“Yeah, she’s in a different homeroom,” Juleka answered automatically. Adrien raised his eyebrows at her. “What? She’s in Rose’s ballet class.”

“I think you’re missing the big question here, Kit Kat,” Alya said. Adrien blinked at her in surprise.

“Oh?” Adrien asked, looking a little confused. Probably more due to the nickname than anything else.

“If you two didn’t know about Master Fu until three months ago and never talked about it with her,” Alya said, turning to Juleka with that dangerous glint she always got when she found something to investigate. Juleka felt unease trickle down her spine, “then how did Jules know about him?” There was a pause while everyone digested that. And then everyone was back to staring at her. Even Plagg and Tikki stopped eating in order to watch and see what Juleka would say next.

She really wished they would all stop doing that.

“You guys know that the kwamis can tell me stuff too, right?” Juleka asked. The deflection wasn’t good enough if the raised eyebrows around the circle were anything to go by. She hadn’t really expected it to be, but she really wished it had been. She sighed.

“I’ve actually known Master Fu for about four years now,” Juleka said reluctantly. “He’s pretty much the closest thing to real family I have.”

Juleka wished that she was just being dramatic when she said that four jaws dropped, but she got a pretty good view of the potatoes in Nino’s mouth so she really wasn’t. The silence in the room went from inquisitive to incredulous in two seconds flat as everyone stared at her in shock.

“Dude,” Nino said quietly, his quiet words gently breaking the silence. “Holy crap.”

“You- you’re closer to him than _we_ are,” Marinette said finally, looking disoriented.

“Is that how you knew they were superheroes?” Alya asked curiously.

“What?” Juleka asked, taking her turn to be confused.

“ _That’s_ how you know everything,” Adrien said excitedly, his face clearing like Juleka had just given him the actual secrets of the universe and everything finally made sense. “You’ve been learning from Master Fu this whole time.”

“Um, no?” Juleka asked again, looking back and forth between Adrien and Marinette and Nino and Alya. “I didn’t know Master Fu had anything to do with the Miraculous until Christmas.”

“Christmas?” Adrien echoed, his face falling back into confusion. “Then how-”

“Adrien, I do _not_ know everything,” Juleka snapped, wondering whether she was going to pull her own hair out first or his or maybe Alya’s- it was just that kind of day. “I told all of you, I figured out that Adrien and Marinette were superheroes on my own.”

“But didn’t you say that there’s magic concealing their identities?” Alya asked. Juleka sighed and put down her fork as all eyes returned to her once more. Perfectly good fish going ignored.

“Yes,” Juleka sighed, regretting just about everything she’d ever said. “It’s called a glamour. It keeps people from putting together the facts that say that Adrien and Marinette are Chat Noir and Ladybug.”

“That explains so much,” Marinette said, her eyes unfocused as she presumably thought of all the times she should have been caught and wasn’t.

“Seriously,” Adrien agreed, his eyes similarly unfocused.

“Then how did you see through it when the rest of us didn’t?” Alya asked, using her fork as a pointing tool to indicate the rest of the group.

“It doesn’t affect everyone equally,” Juleka said carefully, trying to find a way to end this conversation before she admitted something she didn’t want to admit, before they ended up asking things she didn’t want to answer-

“Why-” Alya started and Juleka felt herself tensing for the question.

“Alya,” Nino interrupted, elbowing her in the side.

“What?” Alya asked irritably, her eyes finally leaving Juleka’s face to glare at her boyfriend.

“You’re in interrogation mode,” Nino said calmly, popping a potato in his mouth.

“Oh,” Alya said, blinking at him. “ _Oh._ ” She shook her head, then turned a sheepish smile to Juleka. “Sorry, Jules. I can get pretty focused sometimes.” She glanced hesitantly towards Adrien and Marinette, then reached out and grabbed Nino’s hand, smiling at him gently.

“It’s okay,” Juleka said, thanking whatever higher power seemed to be taking her side for once and then thanking Nino for good measure. “I get the need to learn more about all of this.”

“You don’t mind me asking questions?” Alya asked carefully.

“No,” Juleka said with a shrug, because most questions she really didn’t mind; most questions were a pleasure to answer; most questions didn’t have Juleka waking up with tears on her cheeks for weeks on end.

“Good,” Alya said, brightening immediately. “So, why did Master Fu tell you he was the Guardian after four years of hiding it?”

Juleka really should have gotten used to these kinds of mistakes by now.

Because the question had been asked and now everyone was waiting for her to answer _again_ and even Tikki and Plagg were sitting straight on their cart, watching the train wreck happen. Tikki looked concerned and Plagg looked completely _un_ concerned, but his eyes were fully open and he was ignoring the camembert right next to him. And then there were Adrien and Marinette, watching her with interested curiosity that was growing by the second and all Juleka could see was how this could go wrong, so wrong, and she was frozen underneath a pressing weight, her nightmares somehow brought to life in this completely unrelated situation.

“Maybe he told you because he’s planning to offer you a Miraculous,” Marinette said suddenly, her voice bright and excited and happy at the possibility.

Nightmares brought to life.

“Dude, that’d be awesome,” Nino said, brandishing a potato at Marinette emphatically.

“Yeah! You’d be an amazing holder, Jules,” Adrien said, a grin lighting up his face.

“And it makes sense,” Marinette said, turning her blinding excitement on Juleka. “You’re practically doing the job already anyways. You know more about our Miraculous than we do sometimes. You’d be great.”

“We could use another person,” Adrien said thoughtfully. “I mean we’re a good team, but sometimes-”

“I’m not getting a Miraculous,” Juleka said firmly, trying to stamp out the echoes in her mind _why didn’t you, why didn’t you, the error of that decision-_

“Why not, Jules?” Adrien said, his grin melting into a pout.

“Yeah, Jules. Master Fu probably told you now, after all this time, for a reason,” Marinette said, her encouragement only adding to the tightness in Juleka’s chest.

“You’re too awesome to _not_ get one, Jules,” Nino said. Juleka wished that someone would notice that Alya wasn’t saying anything, that Alya was watching the conversation too silent and too still, her face blank and her eyes sad. Juleka wished that someone would see because someone needed to fix it, but she couldn’t, she couldn’t save anyone-

“Don’t worry, Jules,” Marinette said. “He’s probably just waiting until everything is less, you know, crazy.”

“You’ll get a Miraculous, Jules,” Adrien said. “No doubt.”

“It’ll be awesome, Jules,” Nino said. “Super awesome.”

“I wonder which Miraculous it’ll be.”

“There were so many in that book-”

“Jules’d fit great with any of them.”

“Well, _yeah_ , Jules is awesome.”

“And Jules knows _everything_ , so-”

“Jules will-”

Juleka stood up and if her head wasn’t already spinning from moving so quickly and _why didn’t you_ and _the error of that decision_ and the impossible pressure weighing on her back straight out of her nightmares, then her head would’ve spun from the déjà vu, because they had been here before. Only this time, Juleka held herself back from running even though every instinct was clamoring for escape. Instead, she focused on breathing because apparently at some point she’d started hyperventilating and she wished that someone had noticed. At another time, Juleka would chuckle to herself and call them ridiculous and oblivious and then she’d fix everything, but right now…

“I won’t take the Miraculous,” Juleka blurted before she’d truly gotten her lungs to obey her, but she needed, she needed- “I told Master Fu and I told Plagg and Tikki and I- I won’t take it.” Juleka forced herself to sit back down on the couch, to wait under the stares of six people, all surprised and rapidly growing concerned.

The silence seemed to last forever.

And yet, when it ended, it seemed that it hadn’t lasted long enough.

“You’ve already been offered the Miraculous,” Alya said softly. “Haven’t you?” Juleka didn’t look at her when she nodded.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Marinette asked delicately.

“’You’d be an amazing holder. It makes sense. You’re practically doing the job anyways,’” Juleka repeated. She didn’t need to look at Marinette to feel her wince.

“Jules, we didn’t mean to pressure you,” Adrien said gently.

“Yeah, dude,” Nino said earnestly. “We would never try to make you do something you didn’t want to do.”

“Seems to me you do enough saving as it is,” Alya said carefully, smiling at Juleka when she finally looked up. They were all still watching her and the pressure didn’t exactly dissipate like Juleka desperately wanted it to. It was still there, same as _why didn’t you_. But looking at the faces of her friends, concerned and also supportive and so, so kind and maybe even loving, it was much easier to bear. She dug deep and pulled out a tiny smile so that they could stop looking so worried and just look the rest of the beautiful, happy things, like they had before.

“Are you okay?” Marinette asked, taking Juleka’s smile and returning one of her own, sympathetic and comforting, like a blanket would be. Or a mom.

“You don’t have to be, you know,” Marinette added when Juleka nodded. Juleka chuckled quietly and nodded again.

“I’m okay,” Juleka said. “I promise.”

“At the restaurant…” Alya trailed off, her face hesitant and unsure, like asking another question would send Juleka gasping again. Juleka could appreciate the feeling, but she nodded encouragingly anyways. “When we went to the restaurant before the break and you left abruptly, was that because of us? Did we do the same thing then?” Adrien and Marinette looked at her, startled, then back at Juleka.

“Kinda,” Juleka admitted slowly. “It was different then, because you were all freaking out about different things.”

“Oh my god, I’d just told Chat that you knew about me,” Marinette realized, staring at Juleka in horror. “I was flipping out on you because I thought he was going to find me.” She turned to smile shyly at Adrien, who looked similarly flabbergasted.

“I was going crazy because I was looking for you,” Adrien said, a lopsided grin growing on his face.

“ _We_ make sense, because our lives had turned upside down,” Marinette said. Then she turned to raise an eyebrow at Alya and Nino. “But why were _you two_ bothering Juleka?”

“Um,” Nino said, looking over at Alya, who looked just as sheepish as he did.

“Juleka had just discovered that Nino and I were dating,” Alya sighed.

“How did she do that?” Adrien asked. He made a show of being exasperated, but his sigh was also more or less resigned to the realities of friendship with Juleka.

“Well, uh,” Alya said, her cheeks darkening as she looked at Juleka.

“I found them making out,” Juleka said, putting Alya out of her misery. Alya sighed and nodded solemnly, accepting her fate.

“You two were making out at school?” Marinette asked, raising her eyebrows at Alya.

“And Juleka just so happened to find you?” Adrien asked, raising his eyebrows at Juleka.

“Let it go, Adrien,” Plagg counseled, popping up next to Adrien’s shoulder and glaring at Juleka. “It’s just the way she is.” Juleka glared back at him, then turned to exchange a long-suffering glance with Tikki when he stuck his tongue out at her.

“Okay, judge us later,” Alya said, waving one hand a little too quickly to be as dismissive as she was shooting for. “The point here is, all four of us were freaking out on Juleka at once,” she said gravely.

“Right,” Marinette said slowly, her face turning pensive.

“It’s not a big deal,” Juleka said quickly.

“It is, Jules,” Adrien said, shaking his head firmly. “You have been dealing with a lot of stuff for a really long time. You were keeping secrets for all of us. All at once. You didn’t have to do that.”

“Yes, I did,” Juleka said.

“No, you didn’t,” Marinette said. She put up a hand when Juleka opened her mouth to protest. “It was more than just secret keeping, Jules. You were friend and confidant for _all_ of us. That- that must have been insane.” Marinette shook her head, her soft smile tinged with something like admiration. But it couldn’t be that, because Juleka- Juleka didn’t-

“It wasn’t all that bad,” Juleka muttered.

“How many times did we almost reveal ourselves?” Adrien asked pointedly. “We were messes.”

“Yeah, I’m surprised you didn’t break down more often,” Nino said helpfully. Alya elbowed him in the side. Nino leaned away from her, holding his abused ribs and looking betrayed. “That’s not what I meant. I was _trying_ to say that it was impressive that she held it together so well.”

“Not what it sounded like, hathead,” Alya said. Juleka couldn’t tell if she was annoyed or amused, but she reached out and patted Nino’s arm comfortingly either way. Then she looked back over at Juleka, her face set.

“Okay, there may have been moments when it got a little harder,” Juleka admitted, because Marinette had her Ladybug face on and Adrien had his Chat Noir face on and Alya had her reporter face on and Nino had made up a serious face just for this occasion. “But it’s not like any of you were putting that on me on purpose. Anyone halfway decent would have done the same thing I did. It’s not all that crazy. It’s _not_.”

“Jules-” Marinette started and Juleka already felt resistance building up inside her. Then Marinette cut herself off, her eyes fixing on something next to Juleka. She didn’t have time to wonder what it was before a small hand touched her arm. She looked down to find Tikki smiling up at her sympathetically and Plagg floating next to her, desperately trying to look disinterested.

“Accept this one, Juleka,” Tikki said quietly. “They’re trying to thank you for what you did for them. That’s all. It’s no less than you deserve.”

“But-” Juleka started, already shaking her head.

“Look, kid,” Plagg huffed, drifting past Tikki to hover at eye level, still trying to look like he didn’t care about any of what was happening. “Maybe it doesn’t matter at all to _you_ , because you’re heartless or whatever.”

“That’s not what-”

“But it apparently meant a lot to these guys,” Plagg said loudly, ignoring Juleka almost completely. Tikki cleared her throat delicately as she flew up to hover next to Plagg. “And it meant something to Spots.” Tikki cleared her throat again, watching Plagg expectantly. “And it probably meant something to Master Fu.”

“Plagg.”

“Okay, fine, I guess it meant a little bit to me too, but _only_ a little, and only because this kid is hopeless,” Plagg huffed, crossing his arms and glaring at Tikki, who smiled back sweetly. Plagg could only hold the glare for a couple seconds before it softened and he shifted over to bump against Tikki gently. Then he turned the glare back to Juleka. “Point is, they care. So just take the thank you already.”

Juleka stared down at Plagg. Then she turned to take in the faces of all of the ridiculous people that had decided to become her friends, that had barged into her life just as much as she had dragged herself into theirs. Tikki and Marinette and Adrien and Nino and Alya. She marveled at how fierce and protective they looked, protective of _her_ , ready to fight her over their gratitude for something as small as keeping their secrets.

“Okay,” Juleka said quietly, reluctantly, gratefully. She dipped her head and let her bangs fall between them, because she couldn’t accept their kindness any other way, because if she didn’t shield herself the burning in her cheeks would roast her alive.

“Thank you,” Marinette said gently, and Juleka felt her touch on her arm the same way she felt Tikki’s on her shoulder.

“You know, you can share these things with us,” Adrien said, speaking slowly so that he could pick out each word carefully. “You don’t have to carry it alone anymore.” Juleka peeked past her bangs at him, found him frowning at her like he could truly take away the weight on her back.

“Don’t frown so much, Mr. Model,” Juleka said, instead of the disagreement she felt in her chest. “You’ll get wrinkles.”

“They’ll edit them out,” Adrien said with an imperious wave of his hand, but he smiled anyway.

“Well,” Nino said, his voice suspiciously muffled. Sure enough, when Juleka looked over at him, his mouth was full of potato. “Now that _that_ emotionally charged conversation is over, I’m pretty sure our food is getting cold.”

“What a tragedy,” Juleka said drily, picking up her abandoned fork and returning to her food, which was still wonderful even though it was now lukewarm.

“Why do you just have a plate of potatoes?” Tikki asked curiously, flying over to peer at Nino’s plate, which was indeed just filled with diced potatoes.

“I really like potatoes,” Nino said, shrugging as he stuffed another piece in his mouth. Alya shook her head at him, then turned to Marinette, rolling her eyes fondly. Marinette grinned back, tilting her head at Adrien, who was shoving a huge piece of broccoli in his mouth. They shared a commiserating smile and went back to their own food. Plagg and Tikki floated off somewhere, whispering amongst themselves. And Juleka smiled to herself as everything slid a little closer to a new normal.

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“Alright class,” Ms. Monet said about ten minutes before the bell was supposed to ring, interrupting the silence of students working diligently to paint the fruit bowl in the center of the ring of easels. “I have to leave a little early today, so you may go ahead and pack up your supplies. If you’re not done, don’t worry. We will return to still lifes tomorrow.” There were quiet groans mixed in with the louder cheers and the scraping of moving stools and the clacking of displaced paintbrushes. Juleka ignored it all, focusing instead on getting the shadow on the pear just right. She wished momentarily that she had chosen to do watercolor, but when she sat back to check her progress, she knew that she would appreciate the realism of the oil painting.

“You staying today?” Nathanaël asked as he lingered by his easel, waiting for a sink to open up so that he could dump his paint water and rinse his brushes. Juleka nodded and leaned back in to continue carefully working the shadow. “You’re not going home with Adrien or Marinette?” Nathanaël asked. Juleka glanced over at him, but he was just watching her with polite curiosity.

“No,” Juleka said, raising her eyebrow at him.

“I haven’t seen you stay in a while,” Nathanaël said, answering Juleka’s unspoken question. He shrugged and looked over at the sinks, still mobbed by chattering students. “Just thought maybe you didn’t need to anymore.” Juleka blinked at him. Then she shrugged, since she didn’t quite know how to respond to that. Luckily, with Nathanaël that was enough.

“Well, have fun painting fruit,” Nathanaël said, smiling teasingly.

“I will,” Juleka said solemnly. Then she winked and Nathanaël laughed and that was it. Nathanaël drifted off to claim a sink and Juleka returned to her painting.

It didn’t take very long for the room to empty out. The students were all more than glad to get out of the classroom and get on with their lives, with their goals, with their problems. Juleka stayed in her seat while they swirled around her, putting away supplies and packing bags and talking and laughing. She paused to wave goodbye to Nathanaël and briefly looked up when Ms. Monet reminded her to clean up before she left, but for the most part, she let the careful details of a piece of fruit draw her in and keep her.

Juleka looked up when she found herself in silence.

She breathed it in and welcomed it back like an old friend. When it settled in and Juleka noticed the amount of dust it had displaced, she tried to remember the last time she’d been here, in this empty classroom.

Nathanaël was right. Juleka hadn’t stayed after school since they got back from Christmas break. Every day she either tagged along with Adrien and Marinette or went to see Master Fu or went somewhere with Rose. Even now, she was only here because she’d be meeting up with Rose after she checked in at home.

Juleka no longer needed the refuge of an empty classroom.

But she was still glad to be back here, Juleka decided as she looked around at the scattered easels and the stained tables and the carefully organized art supplies. Juleka couldn’t regret the choices that had led her to be estranged from this sanctuary, couldn’t regret the friendships she’d blundered into or the relationship that still felt too good to be true sometimes. However, Juleka had missed the comforting silence of this place, where things were simple and her course was clear; where she could let details and lines and colors take over her thoughts. Blissful silence…

The final bell rang, loud and shrill and hellish.

Juleka jolted out of her thoughts. The silence that settled in in the wake of the bell didn’t last long, almost immediately being displaced by the low buzz of students exiting their classes. Once she’d gotten her heartrate to slow, Juleka chuckled at herself. She ignored the buzz of students and dipped her paintbrush in the murky paint water to rinse it, eyeing the painting to decide what color she needed next. She probably had a good hour before she needed to meet Rose at the apartment and she wanted to get the pear finished at least. Once the buzz outside the classroom faded, Juleka would be able to work in silence again…

“Yo, Jules!” Nino cried as he flung open the door.

And there goes silence.

“Hey, Jules,” Alya said, a little more sedately than her boyfriend. She closed the door behind them and flicked Nino’s hat off his head as she passed him. She ignored Nino’s indignant noise, instead smiling pleasantly at Juleka and asking, “How’s it going?”

“It’s good,” Juleka said suspiciously, raising an eyebrow and sincerely hoping that they wouldn’t have to do the whole pretend-pleasantries-but-actually-info-gathering thing again.

“Good,” Alya said, nodding her approval. She sat down on Nathanaël’s stool and Juleka sighed, dismissing all hopes of peaceful, comforting, uncomplicated quiet. “So, what’s the plan?” Alya asked, watching Juleka expectantly. Nino, coming to stand next to Alya, also eyed Juleka, waiting for her to speak.

“The plan?” Juleka asked.

“Yeah,” Alya said, as if it were perfectly obvious. When Juleka continued to stare at her, she sighed. “The plan for how we’re going to help Marinette and Adrien?”

“They need help?” Juleka asked, looking from Alya to Nino. He looked just as focused as she did, which confirmed both that this was not some sort of strange joke and also that he had been spending too much time with Alya.

“Of course,” Alya said easily, like this too was perfectly obvious.

“With superheroing?” Juleka ventured.

“Yes,” Alya said with a firm nod.

“They’ve been doing this on their own for months,” Juleka pointed out. “What makes you think they need help?”

“Just because they’ve been doing it on their own, doesn’t mean we can’t make it easier for them,” Alya said, crossing her arms over her chest the same way she had that morning when she was ready to throw her best friend away. Juleka sighed again and put down her palette, because she was not going to try to paint while Alya was in reporter mode.

“Okay then,” Juleka said, turning to face Alya and gathering the shreds of patience that she had left. “What do you think we can do to make it easier?”

“I, uh,” Alya said, her determined gaze flickering into something like embarrassment. “I was thinking you could tell us?”

“Me,” Juleka stated. She didn’t even need to raise her eyebrow to convey how unimpressed she was.

“You know a lot more about the Miraculous than we do,” Alya said defensively.

“Contrary to what Adrien says, I don’t actually know everything,” Juleka said.

“I know that-” Alya started.

“We just want to help, Jules,” Nino interrupted smoothly, putting a hand on Alya’s shoulder. She relaxed a little, her defensive frown softening.

“Sorry. Interrogation mode again,” Alya sighed. She shook her head and straightened her shoulders, returning to the determination she had before. “We just want to help and Marinette said that you’ve been helping for months now. So, I thought you would know best what they needed.”

“Well,” Juleka said slowly, trying to think on what she could have been doing that would have been considered help. “I guess the only thing I really provided was emotional support?”

“Okay,” Alya said encouragingly.

“But you don’t really need plans for that,” Juleka pointed out. Alya didn’t deflate as Juleka half expected her to. She merely turned thoughtful, tapping her chin as she mulled over plans in her mind. Nino watched her fondly, apparently used to her sudden introspection. Juleka watched both of them, saw the unshakeable resolve to do something, _anything_ , to help the friends that had confided in them, to make it easier for them to-

“Oh,” Juleka said when something occurred to her. Both Nino and Alya snapped to her face. “They could also use covers for disappearing. They suck at those.”

“We can do that,” Alya said brightening.

“Yeah, you disappear all the time,” Nino said, grinning cheekily when Alya glared at him. Alya rolled her eyes and reached into her bag to pull out her tablet.

“Oh,” Juleka said again, Nino and Alya snapping up to her once more. “They could also use some help keeping up with their homework.” She gestured at Alya’s tablet.

“ _That’s_ why Marinette is always behind,” Alya said, shaking her head slowly. Then she grinned at Juleka, swiping open her tablet and beginning to type rapidly.

“They also don’t always know when akuma attacks are happening right away,” Juleka said, the gears in her brain beginning to turn as Nino and Alya’s enthusiasm got to her.

“You already have that akuma news alert on your phone,” Nino said to Alya.

“Probably wouldn’t be too hard to refine it, try to get news of akumas faster,” Alya said thoughtfully, still typing away.

“You could ask for information on the Ladyblog, say it’s for you to get to the scene faster,” Juleka said. Alya stopped typing and looked up at Juleka in awe.

“We wouldn’t have to wait for the official news to get on it that way,” Alya said excitedly.

“Oh, and sometimes they forget official appearances they have to make,” Juleka said, suppressing a smile.

“Oh my god, is that why Ladybug didn’t show up to the unveiling of their statue?” Alya gasped, looking into the distance in the way Juleka was beginning to associate with Super discourse being rewritten.

“Marinette still refuses to tell me why she missed it,” Juleka said with an exasperated shake of her head. “She says that she forgot, but-”

“Does she do that weird smile thing?” Alya asked with a sly grin and a glint in her eyes. Juleka laughed and nodded. “Girl can’t lie for anything.”

“She never has,” Nino said with a sad shake of his head.

“That’s another thing-” Juleka started, animated and excited, her thoughts racing and her heart happy and-

The door to the classroom swung open and Juleka abruptly shut her mouth.

“Oh,” Rose said, as she took in the way Juleka, Alya, and Nino were all staring at her. “Am I interrupting something?”

“No,” Juleka said quickly, and she immediately knew it was too quickly, because Rose’s face did something complicated and sad. “I thought you had to go home,” Juleka said, and then immediately regretted that too as that cheerful mask that she hated slid over Rose’s face.

“Maman texted me and said I could just go straight to your house,” Rose said, her voice too cheerful the way cough syrup is too sweet. “But I knew you were probably still here painting, so I- I can wait outside if you need to finish talking; I really didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“Rose, it’s okay,” Juleka said. “We can talk later.”

“Yeah, dude, it’s no big deal,” Nino said smoothly, even though he threw a strange glance at Juleka.

“We’ve gotta go anyways,” Alya said as she stood up. “I’ll text you, Jules.” She smiled at Juleka in a way that said that one of the texts she’d be sending would be _‘is everything okay?’_

“Later guys,” Juleka said, waving at them before she started collecting her paintbrushes.

“Bye, Rose,” Alya said.

“Bye,” Rose said.

Once the door closed behind Nino and Alya, silence fell. Funny how just a few minutes earlier, this had been all she wanted. Silence.

But this wasn’t the comforting quiet Juleka had been looking for. This silence was suffocating and a little sad. This silence was Rose struggling to be okay and Juleka being the one who made it that way.

“Sorry about that,” Juleka said, looking up from her paintbrushes, past her bangs, to see Rose staring down at her hands.

“It’s okay, really,” Rose said quickly, her twisting hands flying up in front of her as if to wave away the tension between them. “I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Rose said quietly, her hands still raised.

“You’re fine, Rose,” Juleka said. She hesitated, searching for words, words, any words that could fix what had gone wrong.

Juleka had been so focused on fixing the secrets straining Adrien and Marinette’s relationships, but what about hers? What had she done to fix the unspoken pains between them, the unanswered questions, the unequal burdens? What had she done about the little wounds that had Rose holding up her hands like she was waiting for Juleka to hit her?

And how had she not seen them until now?

Juleka didn’t have any words for that. She didn’t have any witty remarks, no clever suggestions, no timely questions that would make this better. So instead of floundering for speech, she put down her paintbrushes and walked across the room with big strides. Rose’s eyes widened as Juleka came to stand in front of her and Juleka smiled at her as gently as she could. She took Rose’s outstretched hands in her own, pressing lightly until they softened. She held Rose’s eyes as she brought them to her lips.

“I love you,” Juleka murmured into Rose’s hands, because that was all the truth that she could offer in that moment.

“I love you too,” Rose whispered back, because that was why her hands were trembling. Rose stared up at Juleka, her eyes shifting back and forth as she searched her face for whatever it was she needed. She let out a long breath that lodged in Juleka’s chest and promised to never leave. Then she smiled, a sad smile, but a real one, and Juleka decided that she could live with Rose’s sad sigh burning in her chest if that was what it took to make her smile.

“Can we go make truffles now?” Rose asked, her voice small, but hopeful.

“Yeah, that sounds great,” Juleka said, smiling as softly as she could. “Just let me clean up.” Juleka gave Rose’s hands one last squeeze and then stepped away to tend to her brushes. It was quiet again while Juleka cleaned, but it was a little less suffocating and a little less sad. By the time they walked out of the classroom hand in hand, Rose’s smile was a little happier and that was all that Juleka could ask for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do I like this chapter? I dunno. Does it feel like a logical/emotionally suitable follow up to the events of this last chapter? Not sure. Am I gonna post it anyways and hope for the best like I always do? Absolutely.
> 
>  
> 
> Next: A moment of equilibrium...ish.


	29. The Calm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juleka and friends make some plans.

Juleka narrowed her eyes at the dilemma in front of her, considering her strategy carefully. Now was not the time to rush, no matter how much she wanted to. It wouldn’t be the first time she had succumbed to the lure of an easy solution and it probably wouldn’t be the last. This was a delicate situation Juleka found herself in, one of her own creation.

“What’s wrong, Juleka?” Rose whispered innocently, batting her eyelashes when Juleka half-glared at her. “Can’t decide where to put it?” Juleka rolled her eyes and turned her gaze back to the tic tac toe board waiting under her fingers, taunting her with blank squares. She had fallen prey to Rose’s surprisingly good tic tac toe skills too many times to let herself be baited into an ill-planned move. She took her time, ignoring Rose’s exaggerated and calculated sighs, before she hesitantly moved to put down her O.

“Juleka,” Ms. Mendeleiev barked. Juleka’s head snapped up, her pencil hovering guiltily over an empty corner. Ms. Mendeleiev narrowed her eyes (as narrow as they could get when she was perpetually squinting anyway) and crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t suppose _you_ can tell me the definition of molarity?” Juleka grimaced, ducking her head so that her bangs shielded her from the entire class staring at her.

“Number of moles-”

“Speak up, Juleka,” Ms. Mendeleiev ordered. Juleka sighed and hunched her shoulders a little higher.

“Number of moles per liter of solution,” Juleka gritted out as loud as she was willing. Ms. Mendeleiev continued to stare at her and for a moment Juleka was dreadfully certain that she was going to ask her another question to prove that she’d been listening. Which she hadn’t.

“Yes,” Ms. Mendeleiev said tersely, reluctantly uncrossing her arms and returning to the board, releasing Juleka from attention.

“That was a close one,” Rose whispered with a breathless giggle. Juleka nodded, letting out a relieved sigh. Rose nudged her gently and tilted her head at the tic tac toe board. Juleka sighed again and put her O down to block Rose’s X’s. Honestly, she’d have much more of a chance if she would stop giving Rose the X, but she never could resist that smile. Rose was much too cute to be fair.

As Rose took the piece of paper in order to consider her next move, Juleka’s phone buzzed. Juleka immediately looked around the classroom. It obviously wasn’t Rose, since she was seriously regarding the tic tac toe board, but at first glance, none of her other people seemed to be anxiously looking down at their laps either. If it wasn’t Rose and it wasn’t any of the Miracusquad (as Alya insisted the Super dorks and related friends be called), then who was texting-

Adrien, Marinette, Alya, and Nino all suddenly looked down, moving in sync as they all took out their phones.

 _Ah_ , Juleka thought. It had to be the new and improved akuma alert that Alya had set up for all of them. Juleka took out her own phone, pulling up the alert to see a live report of a maniacal jester terrorizing downtown. Her brain shifted into action. Adrien and Marinette needed an exit strategy, and if this akuma was as tricky as it appeared, they would need an excuse to be gone for a while. But what could-

“OH MY GOD,” Nino shouted as he threw himself off his stool and collapsed to the ground. The entire class swiveled to face him at once. Ms. Mendeleiev stopped in the middle of her sentence, staring down at Nino with a thoroughly unimpressed glare.

“Nino Lahiffe, what do you think-” Ms. Mendeleiev started disapprovingly.

“Oh, the pain!” Nino cried, thrashing around on the floor for added emphasis. “I need to be taken to the nurse; it’s too much!”

“Attention seeking, much?” Chloe asked snidely, giggling to Sabrina over her _super great_ and _not at all hypocritical_ burn.

“Okay, Nino,” Ms. Mendeleiev sighed as she walked over to Nino and watched him jerk dispassionately. “Just calm down-”

“OH GOD,” Nino shouted again, his arms flying up to clutch his middle. Ms. Mendeleiev sighed in defeat.

“Ivan, Kim, take Nino-”

“Marinette and Adrien are the only ones who can help me,” Nino said quickly. Juleka groaned internally as Ms. Mendeleiev narrowed her eyes at him. “Uuuuuuuungh,” Nino moaned helpfully.

“Nino,” Ms. Mendeleiev said sternly.

“I can’t stand it,” Nino whimpered.

“Oh my- Fine,” Ms. Mendeleiev said, throwing up her arms. She turned to glare at Adrien and Marinette. “Take Nino down to the nurse and come right back-”

“Please stay with me, my friends! I don’t know if I can take it without you!” Nino cried. When Ms. Mendeleiev glowered at him again, he started gagging exaggeratedly.

“Go. Just go,” Ms. Mendeleiev said, crossing her arms over her chest and staring holes into Nino’s face. Adrien immediately jumped out of his seat, looking a little too gleeful for someone escorting his best friend to the nurse in extreme pain. Marinette stood a little more sedately, glaring at Nino with almost as much exasperation as Ms. Mendeleiev.

“Come on, dude,” Adrien said valiantly, holding out a hand to Nino. “The faster we get you to the nurse, the faster you’ll be out of pain.”

“Can’t stand,” Nino said, holding out his arms. Disgustingly devoid of hesitation, Adrien immediately stooped and hauled Nino up, manhandling him until he was holding him bridal style. Adrien looked over at Marinette, who was watching with her arms firmly crossed over her chest and her face unimpressed, and grinned at her proudly, Nino cradled in his arms.

“Looks like you don’t need any help, Adrien,” Ms. Mendeleiev said. If Juleka didn’t know any better, she’d say she looked impressed. Ms. Mendeleiev coughed and bustled around behind the desk. “Marinette, you may stay here.”

“But-” Nino started.

“That is _enough_ , Nino,” Ms. Mendeleiev snapped.

“But I can’t carry him by myself,” Adrien said. He belatedly looked down at Nino, effortlessly folded in his embrace. And then he dropped one arm, letting Nino’s legs smash to the ground. Nino grunted, but Adrien ignored him, struggling to maintain a grip on him with the one arm and smiling innocently at Ms. Mendeleiev. “See? He’s too heavy.” Ms. Mendeleiev definitely did not look impressed now.

“It’s no problem,” Marinette said quickly, finally shaking off her own exasperation to lift Nino’s feet. “We’ll be back eventually.” Ms. Mendeleiev didn’t look assuaged by this, but she let Marinette and Adrien carry a pitifully groaning Nino out of the classroom without protest. There was an awkward moment at the door when Adrien almost dropped Nino trying to get the door open, but Alya jumped up and got it for him.

“Maybe I should go with them to get the doors,” Alya said hopefully as Adrien and Marinette shuffled past her.

“Sit down, Alya,” Ms. Mendeleiev said firmly. Alya sighed, but she dutifully closed the classroom door and started back to her seat. Before she even managed to sit down, there was a loud thump outside that sounded suspiciously like Nino being dropped. Adrien looked through the window with a panicked expression that quickly morphed into an oh-so-innocent grin that he had clearly borrowed from Marinette. He whispered something hastily and then started walking backwards. Too quickly to actually be carrying Nino. Soon enough he was out of sight and Juleka let out a relieved breath.

“Alright, class, back to me,” Ms. Mendeleiev said grumpily, throwing one last suspicious glare at Alya, who merely smiled back politely, before turning back to the board with a huff. As soon as she was out of Ms. Mendeleiev’s sights, Alya looked over her shoulder at Juleka, giving her a fond eye roll. Juleka returned it and added an amused shake of her head. They shared a conspiratorial smile and then they both went back to what they had been doing before the akuma alert. Alya, to actually paying attention like a good student, Juleka, to paying attention to Rose.

Juleka froze when she found Rose watching her. It was a casual enough gaze, her eyes curious, her head tilted, her eyebrows raised. She wanted to know what the hell had just happened, which was only normal, only understandable, only fair.

But Juleka couldn’t do more than shake her head slowly and watch Rose deflate. She looked away, picking up her pencil and turning her attention back to the tic tac toe board in a way that probably felt more painful than it should have. They were just going back to routine after all. Back to normal. The way Rose put her pencil to paper was the same way she had done it mere minutes earlier, when she had still had a teasing smile on her face. The way she drew her X in the corner box was the same way she had done it all class period, when the distance between them hadn’t felt so far.

“Three in a row,” Rose whispered, dragging a line through the three X’s she had lined up without Juleka noticing. She tried to sound cheerful, teasingly triumphant like she had all the times before, but Juleka still heard the quiet pain in her voice, the secrets festering between them.

 

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When the bell rang to signal the end of chemistry, Adrien, Marinette, and Nino were still not back, their things lying abandoned at their desks. Juleka sighed and caught Alya’s eye, nodding at the forgotten bags. Alya nodded back and began collecting Marinette’s papers.

“Juleka?” Rose asked. Juleka looked away from Alya and smiled up at Rose, who returned the gesture hesitantly. “Maman said that I do have to go home today, but I’ll probably be able come over after dinner. If that’s still okay, that is…” Rose trailed off, glancing at the bags Alya was packing at the front of the room. Juleka stood and grabbed Rose’s hand with a gentle squeeze.

“Of course it’s still okay,” Juleka said firmly, hoping that if she said it enough times, Rose would begin to believe it.

“Oh. Good,” Rose said, her hesitant smile widening into something more genuine. “I’ll see you after dinner then.”

“See you after dinner,” Juleka agreed, bending to press a quick kiss to Rose’s cheek and drinking in the smile it earned her. In moments like this, Juleka almost believed that it would be okay. She could continue balancing this, could keep all of her people from spinning out of control. But the moment passed too quickly and Rose was walking away, the smile on her face fading too fast as she glanced at Alya and the bags of their missing friends, all waiting for Juleka for reasons that she couldn’t know. Juleka watched her leave the classroom without another look.

“Jules?” Juleka wrenched her eyes away from the classroom door to find Alya watching her. For once, the gaze Juleka met was neutral.

“We can just drop these off at their lockers for now, right?” Juleka asked, reaching for Adrien’s bag and slinging it over her shoulder so that she had a free hand to take Marinette’s. Alya didn’t move, continuing to watch her.

“Everything okay?” Alya asked carefully.

“Yup,” Juleka said, looking down at the bags and letting her bangs slide in front of her face. Alya was silent for another moment before she shifted and picked up Nino’s bag.

“Alright,” Alya said brightly, smiling unconcernedly when Juleka looked up at her. Juleka almost wished that Alya’s poker face was as bad as everyone else’s, just so she could know if she believed her or not. “Let’s go put these up or we’ll be late.”

Juleka followed Alya out of the classroom, her mind buzzing, buzzing, buzzing, and didn’t even question how Alya knew the combinations to all three lockers.

 

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When the final bell rang, Juleka hesitated, her brush hovering over her canvas, steady, but uncertain. She had a couple hours until Rose would show up at her house, but she wasn’t sure of what to do with them. She hadn’t visited Master Fu in a while and she was sure both he and Wayzz would appreciate an update on how Adrien and Marinette were doing. She also hadn’t successfully stayed after school for some quality art time in weeks and the silent focus would do wonders for clearing her head. However, despite the tempting call of both possible pastimes, she knew where she was probably going to end up.

“Hey, Jules,” Marinette said cheerfully as she stuck her head past the art room door. Juleka waved at her and she opened it fully, entering with Adrien trailing after her.

“How’s it going?” Adrien asked, checking out unfinished still lifes as he walked towards Juleka. Then he looked at hers and his eyes widened. “Woah, that’s really good, Jules.”

“Yeah, Jules, this is amazing,” Marinette said, also looking down at Juleka’s canvas. She gave a wistful sigh. “I wish I could do art like this.”

“What? You’re a great artist,” Juleka said, going ahead and rinsing her paint brush, because now that her Super dorks had shown up, the endgame was inevitable.

“Maybe,” Marinette admitted, wrinkling her nose. “But not like this. This could be in a museum.”

“Some of the clothes you’ve made could be in a museum,” Adrien argued.

“Yeah, Marinette,” Tikki piped up, popping her head out of Marinette’s purse. “Don’t undersell yourself.”

“Okay, okay,” Marinette said, holding up her hands with a rueful smile. “I’m outnumbered. I concede.”

“You are a good artist,” Adrien said sternly.

“I am a good artist,” Marinette recited obediently with a wide grin on her face. She turned it to Juleka as she asked, “You done here?”

“I guess,” Juleka said, glancing over her painting.

“Wanna come over to Mari’s?” Adrien asked hopefully. Juleka raised an eyebrow at him, then at Marinette, who was wearing an identical expression. Juleka sighed and nodded. Adrien and Marinette both whooped and exchanged a fist bump.

“I’ll clean up your paints; you take care of the brushes,” Marinette said, reaching for Juleka’s supplies. Juleka opened her mouth to protest, but Marinette continued, “We have to hurry. Adrien’s hungry.”

“Hey,” Adrien said, his protestation more of a formality at this point, especially since he just smiled at Marinette dopily. Juleka shook her head and collected her brushes to rinse them.

“No Nino or Alya today?” Juleka asked as she walked over to the sink. There was a pause that Juleka couldn’t interpret without looking at her friends, but when she glanced over her shoulder at them, they seemed normal.

“Nope,” Marinette said, popping the ‘p’ as she carefully packed Juleka’s supplies. “I think they’re going on a date or something.”

“Definitely a date,” Adrien said with a low chuckle. “Nino was ranting about what he was going to wear.”

“Oh,” Marinette said, her voice a little too quiet. Juleka glanced over her shoulder to see Adrien put a hand on Marinette’s shoulder. She didn’t look up. “Alya didn’t mention it.” Adrien looked over at Juleka, at a loss.

“Probably slipped her mind,” Juleka said, carefully blotting a rinsed paintbrush as she turned towards Marinette and Adrien. Marinette finally looked up to give Juleka a skeptical look. “She’s been keeping her relationship with Nino secret for a long time. She’s adjusting. Give her some time.”

“You’re right,” Marinette sighed. She poked Adrien as he opened his mouth. “Don’t say it, kitty.”

“But she _does_ ,” Adrien said with a pout. Juleka shook her head and turned back to rinsing her brushes.

Coming back together piece by piece.

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“Ah, my children have returned,” Mr. Dupain said with a grin as Juleka followed Marinette and Adrien into the bakery. He set the tray of pastries he was holding on the counter and turned to call, “Sabine, the kids are home.”

“Hey, Papa,” Marinette said, popping up on her toes to give her father a kiss on the cheek.

“Hey, Mr. Dupain,” Adrien said, beaming up at him over Marinette’s shoulder.

“Now, Adrien,” Mr. Dupain said with a mock frown that looked unnatural on his face. “What have I told you about calling me Mr. Dupain?”

“Don’t do it?” Adrien said, his grin shifting into something more sheepish, red rising in his cheeks.

“Adrien, Juleka, nice to see you,” Mrs. Cheng said as she came down the stairs, brushing her hands off as she descended gracefully.

“Adrien called me Mr. Dupain again,” Mr. Dupain said sternly as Mrs. Cheng stepped up and gave Marinette a quick hug.

“Tom, the boy can call us whatever he’d like,” Mrs. Cheng admonished as she moved on to Adrien and pulled him down into a hug. She held him tight, then patted him on the cheek when she drew away. “But we really would like it if you called us Maman Cheng and Papa Dupain.”

“Okay, M-Maman Cheng,” Adrien said shyly, his cheeks growing even redder. Marinette stood next to her father, watching him fondly.

“And Juleka,” Mrs. Cheng said, turning to Juleka with her arms wide open. Juleka leaned into her embrace in a way she wouldn’t have allowed herself to do months ago when she first came to the Dupain-Cheng house. Mrs. Cheng patted her cheek as well, her hand smooth and warm. “You know you’re free to call us that as well.” Juleka nodded, but didn’t quite trust herself to speak. If Mrs. Cheng was disappointed or saddened by that, she didn’t show it, merely smiling at Juleka warmly and giving her one last pat before she moved back towards the register.

“There’s a tray of snacks in the kitchen upstairs,” Mrs. Cheng informed them as she slid an arm around her husband’s waist.

“Thanks, Maman,” Marinette said, starting towards the stairs.

“And everyone is welcome to stay for dinner,” Mr. Dupain called after them.

“I can’t stay past the normal time,” Adrien said sadly, pausing at the bottom of the stairs. “I have an event I have to attend tonight.”

“I have to go as well,” Juleka said apologetically. “Rose is coming over tonight.”

“Oh, is she now?” Mrs. Cheng asked slyly. Juleka nodded, her cheeks heating up. “I suppose you can miss dinner if it’s for _Rose_.”

“You two have fun,” Mr. Dupain said just as slyly. Juleka ducked behind her bangs and nudged Adrien to start up the stairs. Adrien laughed at her and stayed planted where he was.

“You know, Sabine, I think we’re embarrassing her,” Mr. Dupain said, his voice entirely too gleeful for Juleka’s comfort.

“You know, Tom, I think you might be right,” Mrs. Cheng said, her voice completely unremorseful.

“Would you move?” Juleka sighed at Adrien, because she knew that Mr. Dupain and Mrs. Cheng would not be stopping anytime soon.

“I don’t know,” Marinette said mischievously, casually leaning against the railing. “I think he’s good where he is.” Juleka raised an eyebrow at her.

“Shall we talk about someone else’s relationship?” Juleka asked pointedly. Marinette’s grin went from mischievous to rueful immediately and Adrien surged up the first few steps.

“Have fun, kids,” Mr. Dupain called after them, giving Juleka a wink when she glanced at him.

“Make sure to do some homework,” Mrs. Sabine added, giving Juleka a smug smile.

“Your parents are relentless,” Adrien said as they filed through the house towards Marinette’s room.

“Tell me about it,” Marinette said with a roll of her eyes. She swerved towards the kitchen to pick up a tray of chocolate chip cookies and wedges of camembert cheese.

“I love them,” Adrien said emphatically. Marinette smiled at him fondly as she joined him at the bottom of the stairs.

“Yeah,” Marinette said softly, gazing up at Adrien with that dopey little smile they always got. They stayed there for a long moment (a much too long moment), just gazing into one another’s eyes like that was all they needed in the world.

Juleka needed snacks in her world.

“Um,” Juleka said, because that was usually all it took to reset them. Sure enough, Adrien and Marinette both jumped, looking over at her guiltily, their faces going bright red.

“After you, my Lady,” Adrien said, grandly waving for Marinette to proceed him up the stairs as if his cheeks weren’t red enough to rival a fire truck. Marinette giggled and gave him a small curtsy before starting up. Juleka rolled her eyes when Adrien stayed in his bowed position and grinned at her. “And after you, my…comrade?” Juleka raised an eyebrow at him and Adrien winced. “My friend? After you, my friend.”

“Better,” Juleka allowed, starting up the stairs. Marinette was already seated on the chaise when Juleka entered the room, her legs folded under her like they always were when they ended up here together and the tray of snacks sitting next to her.

“Speaking of my relentless parents,” Marinette said nonchalantly as Juleka pulled over the desk chair, like _she_ always did. “How are you and Rose doing?”

“What does that have to do with your parents?” Juleka asked as she sat down in the desk chair, one leg tucked beneath her, and reached for a cookie.

“She’s channeling them,” Adrien said helpfully as he sat down on the other end of the chaise, the snacks resting between him and Marinette. He lifted the edge of his shirt and said, as _he_ always did, “You can come out, kwamis.”

“Finally,” Plagg said, darting out of Adrien’s shirt and snatching a wedge of camembert that he brought with him to the pillow on Marinette’s other side. Tikki darted out of Marinette’s purse at the same time, pausing first to give Adrien and Juleka a nuzzle before taking a cookie and joining Plagg.

“Well?” Marinette asked expectantly. Juleka sighed, knowing from that tone of voice that she wasn’t escaping this one.

“We’re good,” Juleka said, taking a huge bite of her cookie. She didn’t miss the look that Adrien and Marinette exchanged.

“Is that so?” Adrien asked casually. Juleka finished chewing and swallowed, watching Adrien and Marinette fail to look innocent all the while.

“Yeah,” Juleka said slowly, looking between the Super dorks for a clue as to why they looked so shifty. “Why?” she asked suspiciously.

“No reason,” Marinette said, speaking too quickly, smiling too widely. Juleka raised an eyebrow. Marinette only lasted about thirty seconds before admitting, “Okay, Alya might have mentioned that she thinks something might be wrong.”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Juleka said, thinking of the way Rose had looked walking away from her earlier, knowing that something was definitely wrong. “Alya must have misinterpreted something.” Adrien and Marinette exchanged another look.

“Okay, I might have agreed with Alya that something’s been off with you two recently,” Marinette said carefully.

“And Nino and I might have had a similar conversation,” Adrien added, speaking just as gently. Juleka looked from one to the other, taking in their serious faces, the determined set of their mouths, the concern in their eyes. She sighed.

“It’s-” Juleka started. She sighed again, ducking behind her bangs. “I’m dealing with it.” She watched Adrien and Marinette exchange yet another look from behind her hair.

“What’s wrong?” Adrien asked. Juleka looked at him, weighing and considering the possible outcomes of telling the truth.

“Is it our secret?” Marinette asked, taking the consideration out of Juleka’s hands. Juleka looked over at her in surprise and Marinette shrugged sadly. “I know how this can weigh on a friendship.” Adrien looked over at her, the concern in his face transferring from Juleka to Marinette for a moment. He reached out and squeezed her shoulder. Marinette gave him a little smile, but immediately turned back to Juleka.

“Is that it?” Marinette asked, her voice sad, but still determined. Juleka hesitated for a second longer, then nodded.

“I think she feels…left out,” Juleka said, curling in on herself a little as she thought of the pain she saw flash across Rose’s face too often, the cheerful mask that Rose was getting too good at. “I think she’s afraid that I’m leaving her behind.”

“Oh, Juleka,” Tikki said. Juleka wasn’t surprised when she felt little hands pressing against her arm. She looked down to see Tikki watching her with sympathy in her eyes.

“It’s okay,” Juleka assured her. “I make sure she knows that I won’t leave her.”

“But it still hurts,” Marinette said, watching Juleka carefully.

“Probably,” Juleka admitted, looking down at her lap and focusing on Tikki’s gentle presence at her elbow. She picked at the cookie in her hands for something to do, something else to think about, and wished she had a cup of tea to stare into.

“If the secrets are the problem,” Adrien said slowly, his hand still resting on Marinette’s shoulder, his thumb sweeping back and forth, “then maybe you should tell her the truth.”

“Tell her the truth?” Juleka echoed, her head flying up to stare at Adrien and Marinette, who were holding a silent conference the way only they could. Adrien tilted his head. Marinette just watched him for a moment, then eventually nodded.

“Yes,” Marinette said, nodding her head again more firmly. “Tell her the truth.”

“The truth that you two are superheroes,” Juleka said.

“Yep,” Adrien said, cheerful now that he had approved the plan with his partner.

“And that I’ve been covering your butts for months,” Juleka said.

“Yeah,” Marinette said, her pigtails bouncing as she nodded emphatically.

“And that you are _superheroes_ ,” Juleka said once more, just to be sure.

“Yes, Jules,” Marinette said, giggling softly. Her giggles faded pretty quickly, her face going sober as she tilted her head at Juleka. “Do you not want to tell her?”

“No, I do,” Juleka said, since that had never been the question. Juleka had wanted to share it with Rose more or less since Adrien had found out.

“Then what’s with the disbelief?” Adrien asked, finally taking his hand off of Marinette’s shoulder and picking up a cookie. Marinette frowned at her now empty shoulder, but quickly returned her attention to Juleka, listening attentively.

“You guys don’t think it’s a bad idea?” Juleka asked, toying with her own half-eaten cookie.

“We think it’s a _great_ idea to stop your relationship from being destroyed by the secrets you’re keeping for us,” Marinette said with a wry smile.

“Sure, it’ll help my relationship, but it’s also kind of pushing it,” Juleka pointed out. Adrien and Marinette exchanged a confused glance.

“What do you mean?” Adrien asked slowly, speaking around a mouthful of chocolate chip.

“Me, Alya, Nino, you add Rose and that’s four random people walking around knowing your secret,” Juleka said, counting out confidants on her fingers and holding them up for Adrien and Marinette to see.

“That’s okay,” Marinette said with a shrug. “You guys are trustworthy.”

“Trustworthy?” Juleka repeated incredulously. Marinette shrugged again and so did Adrien when Juleka looked over at him. “What happened to no one can know, not even my partner?”

“You showed us that it’s not the end of the world to share the secret,” Adrien said, offering what was probably supposed to be a calming smile. “Relationships are important too.”

“Maybe it’s not the end of the world, but that shouldn’t make it something you share with anyone that pouts,” Juleka said, shifting in her chair agitatedly. “Say you let me tell Rose. That’s great. What about Nath? Are you gonna let me tell him too? And what about your parents, Marinette? How about Adrien’s dad or _my_ estranged parents or the dude who owns the shop next to Master Fu’s place? You have to be _careful_.” Juleka snapped her mouth shut, surprised to find that she was halfway out of her seat, her cookie crumbling in her relaxing fist, Adrien and Marinette staring at her, taken aback. Juleka was also taken aback by her own vehemence. She carefully brushed cookie crumbs off of her glove onto the tray and sat back, waiting for someone to break the silence…

“They _are_ being careful,” Tikki said. Juleka looked down at her, surprised to find her still hovering at her elbow. “Rose is not just anyone; she’s important.”

“You too, Tikki?” Juleka sighed. Tikki smiled at her and shrugged.

“Tikki’s right,” Marinette said earnestly. “You’ve helped us keep it together for just about forever. It’s not fair that we get _our_ friendships, the people we-” Marinette broke off, glancing over at Adrien, pink seeping into her cheeks. She swallowed heavily before continuing, “the people we love. It’s not fair if we get all of that and you don’t.” She glanced over at Adrien surreptitiously and smiled hesitantly when she found him smiling at her in awe.

“But you guys are superheroes,” Juleka said, blundering through whatever moment they could be having literally any other time. For example, a time when Juleka _wasn't_ steadily losing all the fight she had left in her.

“Maybe you don’t have a Miraculous,” Tikki said, her hands pressing into Juleka’s skin once more, her characteristic smile, warm and encouraging, lighting up her face, “but you still deserve support.”

Juleka let that sink in. Words like _deserve_ were hard to believe, but it was even harder to ignore when everyone in her life insisted on saying it. First Wayzz and Master Fu with their calm guidance, now Tikki with her encouraging smile, Adrien and Marinette with their identically supportive looks, even Plagg rolled his eyes in exasperated solidarity from his place on the pillow. They were the ones being put in danger here and yet they wanted to help Juleka with her girlfriend and it wasn’t _surprising_ per se, not with a group of the kindest souls on the planet, but it was a little disorienting even after all this time. No matter what Master Fu and Wayzz had said about _deserving_ , Juleka had never quite believed that telling Rose could be an option. But now, but possibly, but maybe, but she couldn’t find any more reasons…

“Okay,” Juleka said.

“…okay?” Adrien asked, exchanging a look with Marinette.

“Yeah,” Juleka said, not quite believing it herself.

“No more fight?” Marinette asked cautiously.

“I can’t continue to fight something that I really want anyways,” Juleka said, holding up her hands. “I trust your judgement. If you say it’s okay, then okay.”

“Oh,” Adrien said, exchanging another look with Marinette.

“Yay!” Tikki cried helpfully, flying up from Juleka’s elbow to nuzzle against her cheek. And then it finally sank in and _oh my god, Juleka was going to tell Rose_.

“Oh my god, I’m going to tell Rose,” Juleka blurted, her mind spinning dizzyingly with happiness and disbelief and a dash of fear, but mostly happiness.

“Do you want us to be there?” Marinette asked, her voice tinged with amusement and some other nebulous quality that Juleka was too dizzy to analyze. Wistfulness perhaps, or maybe disbelief that matched Juleka’s own, or apprehension that Juleka also felt, or worst of all regret? Maybe it was all of those or maybe it was none, but Juleka couldn’t worry about that, because all of her worry centers and pleasure centers and any other centers that were free were directed towards _telling Rose_.

“Juleka?” Adrien asked, his voice definitely amused, Juleka _could_ read that one. “You okay?”

“Yes,” Juleka said, because she could _answer_ that one. She shook her head, trying to get everything back in line, and focused on the matter at hand. “It’s probably best if you guys are there. The meet and greet thing has worked well so far.”

“It’s so weird that we have a formula for revealing ourselves now,” Marinette giggled.

“Yeah, kinda,” Adrien agreed, grinning back at her fondly. The look stayed love-stricken for a moment and then it abruptly shifted as something happened in Adrien’s brain. He straightened, his face somehow finding a way to brighten further. “Why don’t we make an event out of it?”

“Out of telling Rose?” Marinette asked.

“Yeah. Father has me doing a shoot at the Louvre tomorrow afternoon. We could all meet there afterwards, make it a double date,” Adrien said excitedly, looking from Marinette to Juleka like an overeager puppy. Juleka was amused by this for several reasons. One, trust Adrien to turn a moment such as revealing their biggest secret to the love of Juleka’s life into a bigger production than it was already going to be. Two-

“A date?” Juleka asked, one eyebrow rising. Adrien abruptly froze, his cheeks reddening just as quickly.

“Yes,” Marinette said firmly, reaching over and laying a hand on Adrien’s arm. He relaxed immediately, looking back at Marinette with his heart in his eyes. A smile grew across his face, huge and bright and happy and rivaled only by Marinette’s. “A date.”

Juleka didn’t bother trying to interrupt their gaze, choosing instead to exchange a look with Tikki and Plagg, reclining together on their pillow. Tikki rolled her eyes fondly and Plagg rolled his eyes disgustedly and Adrien and Marinette continued to stare into each other’s eyes without a single roll.

And Juleka let them, because tomorrow, they were going to tell Rose.

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“Oh, shoot,” Adrien said, lurching to his feet with his eyes on his phone. Marinette and Juleka both looked up from their homework to see what had him using such strong language. “Time’s up.”

“Already?” Marinette asked in surprise, reaching for her own phone. She sighed when she looked at the time. “It always passes so quickly.”

“I know,” Adrien said sadly as he started hastily shoving his things in his bag. “I tried to get Nathalie to schedule more time here, but she had to fight to get it on my schedule in the first place.”

“Ugh. Fine. Go do model things,” Marinette said, waving her hand imperiously. “Shoo.” Adrien paused his frantic movement to catch Marinette’s hand and press a kiss to it.

“As you wish, my Lady,” Adrien said with a cheesy grin. Marinette shook her head at him, but a blush snuck its way across her cheeks. Adrien dropped her hand and took one last look around. “Alright, Plagg. Let’s go.” Plagg didn’t respond, staying firmly ensconced in his spot curled against Tikki.

“Plagg,” Adrien sighed. “You can’t do this every time.”

“Watch me,” Plagg mumbled.

“Go on, Cat,” Tikki said, shifting over so that Plagg grumbled and reached out for her. “You’ll see me tomorrow.” She paused and looked over at Marinette with a twinkle in her eye. “Or perhaps later tonight.”

“Tikki,” Marinette hissed, her cheeks darkening further as was always a risk these days.

“Come on, Plagg,” Tikki said, her voice still amused, even as she turned back to Plagg and nudged him firmly. “Go.”

“If I must, Spots,” Plagg said, yawning widely and rolling onto Tikki for one last snuggle before drifting lazily over to Adrien. Adrien waited patiently for Plagg to settle into his pocket in before turning on his heel and striding over to the trapdoor.

“I’ll see you guys later,” Adrien said, throwing a final smile at Marinette and Juleka before he disappeared downstairs.

“Well,” Marinette sighed, heaving her textbook closed and putting down her pencil. “There’s not much point in doing physics if Adrien isn’t here to help.”

“True,” Juleka said, closing her own book and setting it aside with the rest of the things that she’d given up on.

“Why don’t we take a break?” Marinette asked, stretching out on the lounge and resting her head on her arms next to Tikki’s pillow. “My brain feels like mush.”

“Okay,” Juleka said with a shrug, not minding in the slightest as she leaned back in the desk chair, stretching out her arms.

“Hey, have I ever told you about how I got the Miraculous?” Marinette asked suddenly. Juleka stopped stretching and looked down at her, but Marinette was studiously focusing on the fabric in front of her nose.

“Um, yeah?” Juleka said, because she was pretty sure she’d heard the story several times. At least once with each new person that got added to the inner circle.

“No, um. Have I ever told you about what happened right after?” Marinette asked, still not looking at Juleka. “After Stoneheart’s first attack, when all of those people had turned into statues.”

“Not in a lot of detail,” Juleka said slowly. “Why?”

“I gave up the Miraculous,” Marinette said quietly, tracing patterns into the lounge with one finger. Juleka’s eyes widened and she looked over at Tikki, who smiled sadly and nodded. “I didn’t think I was good enough to be Ladybug. I gave it to Alya. I ended up getting it back and Alya doesn’t even know, but…I almost gave it all up.” Marinette finally looked up from the lounge, staring up at Juleka and waiting for her to catch on. Which she did. Almost immediately.

“That’s not why I turned down the Miraculous,” Juleka sighed, tucking her arms against her ribcage. Marinette sat up quickly, folding her legs under herself again, her face a mixture of distress and intense curiosity.

“Then, and I’m not trying to pressure, just curious, supportive, you know, why?” Marinette blurted, flinging her arms out. Juleka sighed again, vaguely aware of Tikki watching the conversation with concern and the same curiosity that was driving Marinette. She ignored it, the same way she did her best to ignore phantom weight on her back.

“You know the drawbacks of the Miraculous better than anyone,” Juleka said. “The lying, the danger, the long hours, all of it. Is it so crazy to believe that I don’t want that?”

“No, no,” Marinette said quickly, holding up her hands. “It’s not crazy; I get it. It’s just…” Marinette paused, searching Juleka’s face carefully. “It seems to me that you’ve already got all of that.”

“I know you guys keep saying that I’m already doing the job but-” Juleka started, gearing up to push back, to be defensive, to build a wall against the things she didn’t want to hear.

“That’s not what I meant,” Marinette said quickly, soothingly, still holding her hands up. “I just meant that you’re already experiencing most of the sucky parts of this job.” Juleka paused at that, blinking as the words wormed their way past her defenses and nestled in her thoughts.

“You’re already lying to the one person you care about,” Marinette said gently, carefully. “You’re already doing the weird hours to help me and Adrien and you’re sort of in danger because of how close to us you are in both civilian and superhero forms. You have a lot of the bad parts and not as many of the good. So- and again, just curious, not pressuring- why didn’t you take the Miraculous?” Marinette spoke almost quietly, matter-of-factly, just stating her observations as mercifully as she could.

It really wasn’t her fault that her words still hit like a freight train.

After all, Marinette couldn’t know that Juleka had been avoiding that question since the day Master Fu had offered her the Miraculous. And she couldn’t know about the dreams that had been following her every night after. And there was no way she could see the careful way Juleka had tiptoed around her own thoughts for weeks and weeks and weeks. Because in the end, that was the question, wasn’t it?

Why wouldn’t Juleka take the Miraculous?

Everyone was right; Juleka was practically doing the job, Juleka was taking on the risks, Juleka was suffering the consequences, so it only made sense for her to put on a suit to go with it.

Right?

Except it wasn’t that simple, it didn’t _feel_ that simple, not when everything in Juleka flinched away from the idea of taking the Miraculous. Not when a voice in her head told her that she couldn’t take it, a voice that sometimes sounded an awful lot like _the error of that decision_. It was easy to talk of jobs and to weigh pros and cons and to search out reason and rhyme, but it was infinitely harder to parse out _error_ and _failure_ and _save me, save me, save me_. It felt like so much more than believing she wasn’t good enough and slipping a pair of earrings into someone else’s bag.

“I think I need to go,” Juleka said, instead of _I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know_.

“Oh, Jules, you don’t need to leave,” Marinette blurted, reaching out frantically. “I’m sorry, I was trying not to pressure you-”

“Marinette,” Juleka said soothingly, because maybe she didn’t know a whole lot else, but she knew Marinette and she knew how to help her. “It’s okay. I just need to get home before Rose shows up.”

“Okay,” Marinette said slowly, the panic fading a little, but suspicion welling up in its place.

“Honest,” Juleka said, crossing an X over her heart. That drew a reluctant smile from Marinette.

“We’re good though, right?” Marinette asked anxiously. “I didn’t…”

“We’re good,” Juleka said with a firm nod. “You were just curious.” Juleka stood, looking around a little helplessly for her things, scattered around the space in so little time. “I don’t blame you.”

“Okay,” Marinette said again, looking a little more relieved as she too looked around as if lost in her own room. “I’m really sorry.”

“Marinette,” Juleka said, pausing to catch Marinette’s eye. “Nothing to apologize for.”

 _Except for turning my mind inside out_ , Juleka thought. _But that’s beside the point_.

“Okay,” Marinette said once more, and this time she actually sounded like she believed it. “Then tell Rose I said hi. And don’t forget to ask Rose about the date tomorrow.”

“I won’t,” Juleka promised, a thrill running through her at the prospect, because she’d almost forgotten. She was going to tell Rose. Maybe other things were still swirling, unsettled, unresolved, but _that_ was going to be okay. _That_ was going to be fixed. Juleka shoved the last book into her bag and swung it over her shoulder. “See you tomorrow?” she asked, offering Marinette a small smile.

“See you tomorrow,” Marinette confirmed with a smile of her own.

“See you later, Jules,” Tikki piped up. Juleka looked down to see Tikki watching her carefully, her face sympathetic and wondering all at once. Juleka shrugged, trying to shrug that considerate regard off, trying to shrug off the questions it asked that she couldn’t- wouldn’t- didn’t want to answer.

“Later, Tikki,” Juleka said, then turned and walked away.

Juleka received hugs from first Mrs. Cheng (Did you get some homework done with those lovebirds? Good girl. See you soon, okay?) and then Mr. Dupain (Glad to see you survived the heart eyes! Take some croissants with you, no I insist. Gotta keep you coming back somehow.) and then she was on her way home, on her way to Rose, her thoughts running through her head in a messy jumble that desperately needed chalk to straighten them out.

But then, that was more or less par for the course these days.

 

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Juleka wished she could say that she had done something- _any_ thing productive while waiting for Rose to show up, such as her unfinished homework, or perhaps the laundry that she’d been meaning to do for ages, or maybe some cleaning. The sad truth was that she had spent most of the passing time thinking about Rose, with only the briefest of pauses when she made herself dinner. When the doorbell finally rang, Juleka’s hands were chalk-stained and cramping from holding a nub of chalk for too long. Juleka hastily dropped the nub and brushed off her hands as she made for the door, opening it prepared to see a happy little blonde-

“Juleka!” a voice slightly higher than Rose’s cried as a small body threw itself at Juleka’s stomach. Juleka stumbled back under the unexpected assault, looking up from a blond head buried in her midsection to see a different, taller, older blonde grinning at her.

“Surprise,” Rose said, wiggling her fingers in a ta-da motion.

“Lucas?” Juleka asked, trying and failing to pry tiny arms from her body. The head finally lifted and a smile that was definitely Lucas’s beamed up at her.

“Juleka,” Lucas said happily, resting his chin on her ribs.

“Hey,” Juleka said, warmth bursting in her chest as she finally registered that Lucas was _there_ at her _apartment_. She put her arms around him at last, hugging him to her. “Hey, Lucas,” Juleka said softly.

“I missed you _so much_ , Juleka,” Lucas said, his voice muffled as he turned his face back into Juleka’s ribs. “You haven’t been home in _forever_.”

“I missed you too,” Juleka said quietly. She looked up at Rose and found her watching with her hands over her mouth and tears collecting heavy at the corners of her eyes. She lowered her hands to her chin when she caught Juleka’s gaze, smiling weakly. Juleka smiled back and jerked her head towards the apartment.

“Do you want to come inside, Lucas?” Juleka asked the head of blond hair that was attached to her. Lucas nodded against her ribs, but didn’t move.

“You’re going to have to let go of Juleka to go inside,” Rose pointed out, valiantly keeping her tears out of her voice even as she wiped them away from her cheeks. Juleka wanted to reach out and wipe them away for her, but her arms were full for the moment. Lucas simply shook his head, and Juleka wasn’t quite sure what he was saying no to, but it amounted to them staying in the hallway and Lucas staying attached to Juleka.

“I don’t know, Rose,” Juleka said slowly, mischief lighting up her brain. “I think I might be able to get him inside.” Rose raised her eyebrows, a smile tugging at her lips.

“Oh?” she asked curiously. Juleka felt Lucas stir, but he stayed firmly wrapped around Juleka.

“Lucas, can you step on my toes?” Juleka asked. Lucas looked up at her with wide eyes, his chin resting on her ribs again and tickling when he opened his mouth to talk.

“Mr. Moreau says we shouldn’t hurt people,” Lucas said doubtfully.

“You won’t hurt me,” Juleka assured him. “Just stand on my toes instead of the ground.” Lucas blinked at her for another moment, then drew away a little so that he could look down at their feet. He placed first one foot on top of Juleka’s, then the other. “Okay, you ready, Lucas?” Juleka asked, tightening her hold on Lucas once he was securely on her toes. She felt Lucas nod.

“Then hold on,” Juleka said, smiling broadly at Lucas as she suddenly spun around, carefully holding him to her. He burst out a spray of giggles as they spun, clinging to her more tightly. He giggled even louder as Juleka began walking into the apartment with large, awkward steps. Juleka walked straight-kneed all the way into the living room, then levered a breathlessly pleased Lucas off of her body and dumped him on the couch. “There. Now we’re inside.”

“You make a wonderful taxi,” Rose giggled, closing the front door behind her and leaning against it. Juleka turned and grinned at her. This apartment hadn’t felt like home for a long time, but with Rose there, giggling and smiling and safe, it felt a little closer.

“Again, please?” Lucas asked, holding out his arms, but thankfully not reattaching himself to Juleka’s ribs.

“Not right now, Lucas,” Rose said kindly, crossing the room and sitting down next to him on the couch. Lucas’s face fell and his arms flopped down to his sides. Rose smiled at him fondly, turning to Juleka with a quick wink before nudging him. “Didn’t you want to see Juleka’s apartment?”

“Juleka’s apartment?” Lucas asked, immediately perking up and looking around as if noticing that he was in a new location for the first time. His eyes widened as he took in all of the Couffaines’ artifacts spread across the living room. “Woah,” Lucas whispered. He slipped off the couch and approached the terracotta warrior with his mouth open in awe.

“Don’t touch it,” Rose yelped when Lucas reached out a hand to poke the warrior’s leg. He froze with his finger inches away from the stony surface.

“It’s fine,” Juleka said, walking over and kneeling next to Lucas, putting her hand against the other leg. Lucas looked at her doubtfully, but went through with his gentle poke. He stared up at the warrior’s face and seemed to gain courage when it didn’t respond. He poked it again and a smile spread across his face.

“Woah,” Lucas said again, his eyes wide as he surveyed the rest of the treasures casually sitting on shelves and hanging on the walls, his finger still resting on the terracotta leg. Something else caught his attention and he moved towards the other side of the room, his hands already stretching out to grab it.

“Lucas-” Rose started, standing up from the couch, ready to restrain her brother.

“It’s okay, Rose,” Juleka said, intercepting her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “All of the sharp things are too high for him to grab. He won’t hurt himself.”

“I’m not worried about _him_ ,” Rose said, watching Lucas take a small statue etched with hieroglyphics off a shelf. “What if he breaks something? Won’t your parents be upset?”

“If they really cared about these things, they wouldn’t have left them here,” Juleka said flatly. That succeeded in getting Rose to stop watching Lucas like a hawk, if only because she turned to stare at Juleka with large, heartbroken eyes.

“Oh, Juleka,” Rose said quietly, wrapping her arm around Juleka’s waist and leaning her head against her shoulder.

“Juleka,” Lucas said, walking up to them with a medium sized box cradled against his chest, looking large in his small hands. “What’s this?” Juleka untangled herself from Rose and knelt down in front of Lucas, taking the box from him. It was red and covered with intricate gold designs. Juleka had never opened this particular box. It had been part of the collection as long as she could remember, but her parents had never showed it to her and she had learned early that touching things without permission wasn’t allowed. So, she didn’t know exactly what lay inside, but when she wiped away the dust, she recognized the symbol on top.

“Wedding gifts,” Juleka murmured, setting the box on the ground and lifting the lid. Sure enough, inside lay eight small objects, all made from what Juleka guessed was probably solid gold.

“Wedding gifts?” Lucas asked, peering into the box. He reached inside, looking to Juleka for permission. When she nodded, he took one of the objects from its place in the thick velvet lining. He wrinkled his nose at the ornate golden ruler in his hand. “Who gives school supplies for a wedding?”

“It’s an ancient Chinese tradition,” Juleka said with a chuckle. “Each of these has a meaning. I don’t remember all of them, but I’m pretty sure the ruler is supposed to be a measure of happiness or something.” Lucas continued examining the ruler in his hands for a moment, then carefully put it back in its place. He considered the box and its contents for another minute, then turned to Juleka with a firm nod.

“Someone should give us these for our wedding,” Lucas declared. Juleka blinked at him, then turned to raise an eyebrow at Rose, who was holding in a laugh with one hand.

“Our wedding?” Juleka asked Lucas, a little confused since the last she heard, Lucas was happily engaged to Amelie and he knew that she and Rose were dating.

“Yeah!” Lucas said happily. “Mine and Amelie’s and yours and Rose’s. Don’t you remember? We decided we would have it together on the game night you came to.”

“Right, of course,” Juleka said drily, remembering the many things that had happened on game night and completely unsurprised that this thing had somehow slipped her memory. She raised an eyebrow at Rose, who kept her hand tightly over her mouth. “How could I forget?”

“You and Rose can give Amelie and I these,” Lucas said, gently patting the small gold objects. “And Amelie and I can get some for you that are you-sized.”

“Us-sized?” Juleka asked.

“Yep,” Lucas said with an emphatic nod. “These are too small for you and Rose. You need bigger ones.” He took out the little grain bucket, demonstrating that it was indeed the perfect size for his little hands.

“Naturally,” Juleka said solemnly. “And where will you get eight solid gold traditional Chinese wedding gifts?” she asked. Lucas blinked at her, his face furrowing adorably as he considered the conundrum.

“I’ll get Maman to take me to the store,” Lucas decided, his face clearing.

“Ah. Great plan,” Juleka said. Rose’s giggles leaked past her hand, but she got a cap on them quickly.

“Our wedding is going to be great!” Lucas said excitedly, the grain bucket swinging in his hand. Juleka gently took it from him and placed it back in the box with its fellows. She didn’t care much about most of the things in that room, but she still figured that it’d be better if he broke something that wasn’t made of gold.

“Are you still thinking a space theme?” Rose asked, walking over and resting a hand on Juleka’s shoulder, her fingers warm through the lace of her sleeve.

“I’m not sure,” Lucas said, looking down at the box with stars in his eyes. Rose and Juleka exchanged an amused glance.

“What did Amelie think of it?” Juleka asked. Lucas tore his eyes away from the box and shrugged at Juleka.

“Amelie liked it okay, but she doesn’t like space as much as I do,” Lucas said sadly. “She thinks stars are pretty and she really liked the backpack you made for me, but she likes books better.”

“Oh, really?” Juleka asked.

“Yeah,” Lucas sighed, forgiving his fiancé this great failing. He brightened quickly as he was wont to do. “But she said she was okay with the space theme.”

“Is she excited for the wedding?” Juleka asked.

“Yeah,” Lucas said happily, bouncing on his toes with his excitement. “She was really happy when I said you guys were gonna get married with us.”

“She was?” Rose blurted in surprise.

“Of course,” Lucas said, as if it were a given that everybody in the world would be excited that Rose and Juleka were dating. “I’ve told her all about Juleka, so she’s happy that she’s going to be our sister too.” Rose and Juleka exchanged similarly helpless smiles, both in love with this adorable child.

“Maman’s happy too,” Lucas informed them casually. Their gazes snapped back to his face, but he was looking off at the walls again.

“How do you know?” Rose asked carefully.

“She told Papa that they should be proud to have Juleka as a daughter,” Lucas said, returning his focus to them. His face fell at the memory. “Papa got mad at me because I was supposed to be in bed, but I just wanted some water.”

“I- I’m sure he wasn’t all that mad,” Rose managed to say, reaching out her free hand to pat Lucas’s shoulder even as her other one dug into Juleka’s. Juleka focused on the tightness of her hand rather than the tightness of her chest.

“No, he was,” Lucas said quietly, looking down at his hands. “Papa has been all weird lately.” Rose looked down at Juleka, her face panicked and unsure.

“He’s going through a tough time right now,” Juleka said softly, gently gathering Lucas’s hands and squeezing softly to stop the minute trembles she felt. “He doesn’t mean to be weird.”

“He’ll get better?” Lucas asked, looking up at Juleka with big, trusting eyes. “He’ll go back to being fun all the time, like he used to be? And he’ll stop going all quiet when Rose talks sometimes?” Juleka looked up at Rose, and though she kept her eyes focused on Lucas, Juleka could see the pain seeping into her face, tightening her fingers on Juleka’s shoulder.

“He…will probably get better, Lucas,” Juleka said cautiously. “He realized recently that he was wrong about something. He might need a while to get used to it.”

“What was he wrong about?” Lucas asked. Juleka sighed, torn between truth and disillusionment, trapped in those wide blue eyes.

“He was wrong about love,” Rose said abruptly, a steely edge in her voice.

“Love?” Lucas asked, tilting his head in confusion.

“Yes,” Rose said firmly. Her fingers tightened on Juleka’s shoulder once more and then she let go. “Hey, if you think this room is cool, just wait until you see Juleka’s bedroom.”

“Juleka’s bedroom?” Lucas asked excitedly, immediately straightening up, his hands no longer trembling, his eyes wide with excitement instead of the cocktail of confusion and sadness it had been before. The tense truth he had been dancing on the edge of was forgotten in the face of something new, something exciting, something he could learn about his favorite sister-to-be.

“Come on,” Juleka said, rising from her place on the floor and letting go of Lucas’s hands now that he no longer needed grounding. “Let’s put this box back and then we can go see my room.” Lucas immediately scooped up the box (as carefully as an excited kid can scoop up anything) and went to put it back where he’d found it. Rose slipped her hand into Juleka’s, squeezing lightly. Juleka looked down at her and shared in her sad smile.

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“I hope it was alright that I brought him,” Rose said anxiously. As predicted, Lucas was entrance by the drawings on Juleka’s walls, so she and Rose were able to talk quietly curled up on her bed without disturbing him. Rose picked at Juleka’s glove with nervous fingers. “I know we don’t get much time together anymore…” Rose trailed off, her eyes pensive as she looked down at their intertwined hands.

“Hey,” Juleka said, nudging Rose until she looked up at her. “It was an awesome surprise. I missed him.”

“Good,” Rose sighed, the anxiety in her face melting away into a soft smile. Her fingers stopped picking at lace and instead smoothed against the skin of Juleka’s wrist. “He missed you too. He kept asking where you were and when you were going to come to another game night.” Juleka sighed, looking over at Lucas as he carefully studied her drawings.

“Maybe…” Juleka said, aware of Rose watching her. “Maybe I should start coming over again.”

“Really?” Rose said, sitting up to look at her in delighted surprise. Juleka shrugged as nonchalantly as she could manage, but she could do nothing about the smile spreading across her lips.

“I miss Lucas,” Juleka said by way of answering. “And I miss your mother and…I miss spending time with you.” Juleka reached up and brushed Rose’s bangs aside, trailing her fingers down her cheek. Rose rewarded her with a sunny smile that was only slightly sad.

“Oh, my sweet Juleka,” Rose sighed, leaning back against her side. “I miss you too. So much.” They both fell silent for a moment, just appreciating each other’s presence without effort, without question, without pain. They watched Lucas together, both silently taking pleasure in the way his fingers hovered over the chalk lines, not daring to touch. He was so small to be so serious about life, to know such huge things as love and fear and distance, all of the things that Juleka poured into her walls. Somehow Lucas had zeroed in on Juleka’s most recent additions to the wall, the doodles she had made earlier that evening, of roses and hearts, relieved little things, panicked little things, disbelieving.

Speaking of earlier that evening and relief and panic and disbelief…

“Hey, Rose?” Juleka asked, brushing Rose’s arm with the tips of her fingers.

“Hm?” Rose hummed in acknowledgement, her eyes still on her little brother.

“Do you want to go on a double date with Adrien and Marinette tomorrow?” Juleka asked, hoping that Rose couldn’t feel the drumming of her ridiculous heart. It wouldn’t be the end of the world, she told herself, if Rose said no. They’d find some other time, some other place, they’d tell her eventually. Her heart didn’t seem to get the memo, and insisted on beating faster when Rose stiffened against her.

“A double date?” Rose asked, and Juleka couldn’t interpret the distance in her voice. “Are they…” Rose suddenly lurched away from her and for one heartbroken second, Juleka was certain that she’d said something wrong, but then Rose spun to look at her and her face was split by a huge grin. “Oh my goodness, are Adrien and Marinette dating??” Juleka let out her breath and allowed herself to smile back at her.

“Yeah, I think so. Finally,” Juleka admitted, smiling even wider when Rose’s hands flew to her cheeks. “I don’t know for sure and I don’t know how public they want to be yet, so don’t spread it.”

“Cross my heart,” Rose said solemnly, borrowing Juleka’s movement of crossing an X over her chest. She couldn’t keep up the serious act for long, however, almost immediately dissolving into excitement.

“Eeeeeeeeee,” Rose squealed, her excitement pouring out of her like steam from a teapot.

“Eee?” Lucas asked, looking away from the rose he was tracing to see what the commotion was.

“Our friends started dating,” Rose said excitedly. Juleka nudged her. “Our friends started dating, we think.”

“Oh,” Lucas said, wrinkling his nose at a romance that didn’t directly affect him. “They can’t join our wedding. We’re already full,” he said decisively.

“Okay, dude,” Juleka said. “They’ll be sad, but I’ll break it to them gently.”

“Good,” Lucas said, nodding in approval. Then he turned back to examining the wall.

“I can’t believe-” Rose said, her hands still clapped over her cheeks. “They’re going to move way up the OTP list.”

“Yup. It’s miraculous,” Juleka said, smiling smugly and wishing that Adrien or Marinette was around to hear the joke.

“Is…is that what’s been going on with them recently?” Rose asked, her excitement suddenly muted, turning into a hesitancy that Juleka despised.

Juleka considered the question carefully and considered Rose even more so. Because there were many ways she could respond to that. The full truth was that the budding relationship between Adrien and Marinette wasn’t _really_ what had turned the friend group upside down. There were more secrets than that at play, and Juleka had permission to share them now. She could just tell Rose everything right then and there and be done with it. No more deceit. No more pain.

“Um,” Juleka said, because as easy as it would be to just share everything with Rose, now was not the right time. They had a plan and that plan was tomorrow after Adrien’s photo shoot, not sitting in Juleka’s room with less than two hours before Rose had to leave and her young brother listening a few feet away.

“Sorry, sorry,” Rose said quickly, when Juleka was silent for a beat too long. She looked so resigned as she hastened to assure her. “You don’t have to tell me, I’m so sorry. I know it’s not yours to tell, I-”

“That wasn’t all of it, but it was kind of a part of it,” Juleka interrupted.

“Oh,” Rose said, her eyes flying up to Juleka’s face, wide and surprised.

“Listen, Rose-” Juleka started, because plan or no plan, she wouldn’t let Rose stay that sad.

“Juleka, you don’t have to-” Rose said, holding up her hands.

“I know,” Juleka said gently, shifting so that she could take Rose’s hands in her own. “But I want to tell you. So much. It’s not mine to tell, but it doesn’t make it any easier or any fairer.”

“Oh, Juleka,” Rose said quietly.

“I _will_ tell you what’s going on very soon, okay?” Juleka said. Rose’s eyes widened, as if she hadn’t ever expected to be brought in from the cold. As if she had thought what Juleka herself had thought all the way up until Adrien had suggested another option. “Just be patient?”

“I…” Rose said, searching Juleka’s eyes for some kind of answer. She nodded slowly, her gaze never leaving her face. “Okay…okay.”

“Thank you,” Juleka said, tugging on Rose’s hands until she leaned forward and pressing a kiss to her lips, warm and sweet and wonderful.

“Eeeeew,” Lucas whined, and Rose broke the kiss with a giggle, her forehead pressed against Juleka’s and her laugh no less beautiful from up close.

“We’re super, super gross, Lucas. You’ll have to get used to it,” Juleka said, leaning back from Rose just enough to look over at Lucas and stick out her tongue.

“I don’t think I want to,” Lucas said doubtfully, his mouth screwed up as he considered the dilemma.

“I guess you could just never see me again…” Juleka said thoughtfully.

“No!” Lucas squeaked, scrambling across the room and onto the bed, nestling in between Juleka and Rose and clinging to them both.

“Well then, you’re going to have to get used to ickyness,” Juleka said matter-of-factly, bopping Lucas on the nose for emphasis, “because I love your sister very much and I won’t stop being icky unless she wants me to.”

“Aw,” Rose said, smiling warmly at Juleka as she slipped an arm around Lucas’s waist.

“Ew,” Lucas said sadly, resigning himself to his fate and settling into their laps.

“Speaking of icky,” Juleka said, bopping Lucas once more before she turned to Rose. “You never gave me an answer about the double date.”

“I’d love to go,” Rose said, without hesitation or restraint, which did wonders for Juleka’s worries. Mostly.

“Not gonna ask your parents?” Juleka asked, raising an eyebrow.

“They don’t get a say,” Rose said flatly, her face turning fierce. Juleka exchanged a look with Lucas.

“Alright then,” Juleka said with a shrug. She paused to adjust Lucas on her lap (though he be but little, he be heavy) and then switched her mind from cuteness to logistics. “We’re meeting at the Louvre tomorrow afternoon. Want me to pick you up at your house?”

“No, that’s fine,” Rose said absently as she poked Lucas’s stomach. He made a squeak of protest that she ignored. “My house is in the opposite direction of the Louvre from here. That’s out of your way.” Rose landed another couple pokes as Lucas squirmed away from her.

“I never- oh, _hi_ , Lucas,” Juleka grunted as Lucas shifted heavily into her lap, dragging her arms around him as defense from Rose’s pokes. Rose giggled and held her hands up in surrender. “I never mind going out of my way for you, Rose.” Rose blushed, lowering her hands to Juleka’s arms. Lucas flinched back against Juleka’s chest, but Rose kept her fingers on Juleka’s skin.

“I know, Juleka,” Rose said warmly. “I’ll meet you there, okay?”

“Okay,” Juleka sighed. “Meet you there.” They smiled at each other, ridiculously in love and without a care in the world for that one moment in time.

Then, as one, they both attacked Lucas with poking fingers and giggling and squeaked protests were the only sounds in the room for a long, long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, Lucas. How I missed you.
> 
>  
> 
> Next: the equilibrium ends.


	30. The Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juleka goes on a trip to the Louvre and sees some statues.

Juleka considered herself to be a punctual person. She always planned for travel times, always left when she was supposed to, always arrived on time. Early even. Which is why it was so completely frustrating that today of all days, Juleka was running late.

As if she didn’t have enough to worry about.

Juleka slammed her front door shut behind her, locking it at top speed and shoving her keys in her bag. She flew down the stairs, somehow managing to not trip down those last ten steps, and out of the lobby into the bright sunshine. It was a wonderful day outside, but Juleka didn’t stop to admire it. She was late for a _very important date_. And what an auspicious start this was.

Juleka was trying not to worry as she hurried down the street towards the metro station. It wasn’t going very well, but she was trying. They were finally going to tell Rose. They were going to bring her into the fold and she was going to know and Juleka wasn’t going to have to lie anymore, or go quiet when Rose walked into a room. She wasn’t going to have to watch pain flicker across her face as she was pushed out time and again. It was everything Juleka had longed for for a very long time; it was everything she needed, everything _they_ needed, and yet-

The dumb little voice in the back of Juleka’s mind that refused to be quieted insisted on whispering _what if_.

What if Rose was hurt by what she learned today? What if she blamed Juleka for leaving her in the dark for so long? What if she couldn’t handle such a big secret? What if-

But _what ifs_ wouldn’t help. Juleka did her best to push them into the back of her mind, because they weren’t going to change anything. Juleka already knew the consequences of not trusting in Rose’s kindness. She had spent too many years too far from Rose to make the same mistake twice. Their course was already set, same as the train Juleka was boarding.

Towards the truth. Towards the Louvre.

Juleka was just taking a seat on her second train when her phone buzzed, providing a welcome distraction from her circling thoughts. She dug it out of her pocket and smiled when she saw Marinette’s name on her screen.

 **Marinette:** _Adrien just finished his photo shoot_  
**Marinette:** _He did rly great >///<_  
**Marinette:** _We’re waiting by the[winged victory statue](http://www.el-granada.com/france2007/parislouvrewingedvictorystairs.jpg) whenever u get here_

 **Juleka:** _Okay. I’m running late so I might have Rose meet you up there_

 **Marinette:** _Awesome_  
**Marinette:** _U nervous?_

 **Juleka:** _Only a lot_

 **Marinette:** _Lol. Rose loves u a lot. It’ll be ok_

 **Juleka:** _I know. Hard to remember that though_

 **Marinette:** _I get it. Take some deeps breaths. We’ll see u soon._

Juleka sighed and slumped back in her seat, listening to the roar and rattling of the train as it hurtled across the city. She followed Marinette’s instructions. Deep breaths. It was going to be okay.

She opened her eyes when her phone buzzed in her hands.

 **Rose:** _Just got here. Where are you guys???_

 **Juleka:** _Sigh. I’m running late. I was hoping I could get there when you did, but I guess not_  
**Juleka:** _Marinette said to meet them in the Greek Antiquities room, near Winged Victory_

 **Rose:** _Okay! I promise Adrien, Marinette, and I will only gossip about you a little ;) <3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3_

 **Juleka:** _Haha. Ha._  
**Juleka:** _I’ll see you soon <3_

 **Rose:** _See you soon <3<3_

The train slid to a halt minutes later, the doors grinding open and a tinny voice announcing the station. Juleka heaved herself out of her seat along with most of the other passengers. She still had a couple minutes before she got to the Louvre, but her heart was still drumming against her rib cage insistently _what if, what if, what if_.

She had to trust Rose to be kind. She had to trust her. It was going to be okay.

Juleka’s phone buzzed again as she walked onto the platform. She didn’t really think about it as she fished it out of her pocket, letting the flow of people carry her towards the exit. After all, the notification could be any number of things. Rose texting her to let her know she had found Adrien and Marinette. Marinette texting her to reassure her. Nino or Alya with some kind of Miracusquad scheme. Maybe even Nathanaël with a request for an opinion on his still life. Her phone buzzing wasn’t unusual, wasn’t alarming, wasn’t worth much more than a glance as she speed-walked through the metro station.

However, she wasn’t expecting the two little words she saw on her screen.

_Akuma alert._

Juleka sighed, because _of course_ there would be an akuma now of all times. Why would anything in her life ever be simple? Juleka sighed, but she kept moving, because Rose was still waiting at the Louvre and Adrien and Marinette were going to need covers. Juleka swiped open the alert so that she could figure out what excuse to make for them, how long she was going to have to distract Rose until they could get back. Actually, in the scheme of things, maybe this was better; it provided an excuse to tell-

When Juleka pulled up the akuma alert, Jean Dupont was standing in front of the Louvre.

This stopped Juleka in her tracks, blocked out the grumbling of the man who had to swerve to avoid her, stopped her breath in her throat.

She only got flashes of what Jean was saying over the rushing in her ears, little snippets.

Like _calling herself Madusa._

Like _everyone in the vicinity turned to stone._

Like _Winged Victory of Samothrace._

There was a chance that everything was okay, Juleka tried to reason. There was a chance that Rose was safe, that she wasn’t in the room yet, that Marinette and Adrien somehow managed to escape and were working to take the akuma down right that very instant, there was a chance that nobody she loved was in danger, or hurt, or akumatized…

But when had Juleka ever had good chances?

When she finally lurched into motion, too clumsy, too slow, too little, too late, her movements were frantic. She almost tripped when she reached the stairs, her fumbling fingers focused on trying to dial someone, _any_ one, again and again, please, please, please.

Rose.

Ring, ring, ring, ring- _Hi! I can’t come to the phone right now-_

Marinette.

Ring, ring, ring, ring- _You’ve reached Marinette, please leave-_

Adrien.

Ring, ring, ring, ring- _This is Adrien Agreste. I’m not able-_

Ladybug.

Dial tone.

Chat Noir.

Dial tone.

 

_No._

 

Juleka clutched her phone with trembling fingers, with no choice but to focus on putting one foot in front of the other, stumbling into a run, desperate to get to the Louvre, as if she could stop it from being true.

 _No, no, no_ , thrummed through her mind, beat next to her heart, slammed the pavement as she ran, as much a denial as it was a prayer.

Her phone started ringing as she burst out of the metro station, vibrating hard in her too-tight fingers and Juleka thought _thank god_. That terrible hope collapsed in her chest when she screeched to a halt and looked at the caller ID.

“Alya,” Juleka panted as she answered the phone. She started moving again. Not pelting like before, but still driving on towards her destination. Towards her friends.

“ _Jules!_ ” Alya said quickly, the panic in her voice telling Juleka everything she needed to know. “ _We might have a problem. Nino is with me; he says that Adrien was at the Louvre for a photo shoot and now he’s not answering and neither is Mari-_ ”

“There were both inside,” Juleka said, her breath still clawing out of her lungs, but her emotions, too many, too fast, clogging in her chest so that her voice sounded flat and dead and weird to her own ears.

“ _Oh my god_ ,” Alya said quietly, too quietly. “ _They’re- they're both stone, aren’t they?_ ”

“...I think so,” Juleka said.

“ _What do we do?_ ” Alya asked. The helplessness in her voice reminded Juleka of that one morning, Alya sobbing and broken and unsure.

Juleka had known what to do then, when it was as simple as talking through the issues, when the issue had been misunderstanding, when the only problem was a friendship gone wrong. Juleka had known how to proceed then, had had the words that would make it better, had been able to save them. Now…

“I don’t know,” Juleka admitted.

“ _Oh my god_ ,” Alya whispered again. Juleka heard movement over the line, heard Nino’s murmured voice. She could imagine them sitting curled together and afraid of what might happen with Paris’s superheroes out of action and nobody aware. She stayed with them as best she could from across the city, trying to get to the Louvre for reasons she didn’t even understand anymore, her mind thrumming with _maybe, maybe, maybe_.

It was obvious that all was not right at the Louvre from almost literally a mile away.

Juleka could see people swirling in a thick mass between her and her destination, the kind of unsettled movement that was more than just a visit to a museum and thicker than the crowds _outside_ the Louvre ever got. As Juleka got closer, her phone still pressed to her ear, Nino and Alya shocked and worried and quiet on the other side, she saw that there was a police barricade up, keeping civilians away from the museum. That explained some of the movement of the crowd, but not why there were so _many_ people roiling against the boundary.

Juleka pushed through the throng, not caring who she touched or who she shoved; she needed to get to the front just as much or more than all of the other curious bystanders. She pushed through and _got_ through, coming up against a stout wooden boundary and a huge empty expanse between her and the glass dome that housed the Louvre’s entrance. A wooden boundary that was all that stood between her and Rose and _maybe, maybe, maybe._

“Ma’am, I need you to step back,” a loud voice said, harsh and jarring. Juleka jumped and whirled around, certain for a moment that it was addressing _her_. However, when she looked to her left, she saw that the policewoman was addressing the middle-aged woman a few feet away. She was aggressively normal this woman, brown hair, brown dress, and terrible pain painted on her face. She was standing in the gap between wooden barricades, one foot poking out into the no man’s land.

“No, _please_ ,” the woman begged even as she removed her foot, slowly, reluctantly. “My mother’s in there.”

“Everyone who isn’t stone has already been evacuated, ma’am,” the policewoman said firmly. “Nobody can go inside. We’ll have to wait for Ladybug and Chat Noir.”

 _They’re not coming_ , Juleka thought to herself, the last shreds of hope slipping away from her. She backed away from the barrier, eager presses of people letting her pass so that they might surge forward and get a look at the quiet building housing a tragedy. Juleka found herself outside of the crowd in no time, staring down at her phone. She didn’t remember hanging up, but the call with Alya had been ended and the screen glowed up at her, the picture one of her and Rose, grinning at the camera, happy, safe.

Juleka dialed the numbers again, just to be sure, but it was halfhearted at best. They were all inside. Her best friends, her _girl_ friend, everyone that she loved the most, they were all frozen and waiting for aid that would never come, never ever, they would be frozen for eternity, everyone she loved-

 

Wait.

 

Not everyone.

 

_Master Fu._

 

There was one person that she loved who wasn’t stone, one person who could do something, one person who always had the answers.

Juleka took one last look at her phone, at the picture of her and Rose, then slipped it in her pocket and started running towards her new destination. Towards La Tortue de Guérison.

 

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It was surreal in a way, to burst into Master Fu’s garden, chest heaving, heart racing, world falling apart, to find Master Fu and Wayzz sitting calmly at the little iron table the way they always were. It felt as if this too should be melting, since everything else had gone to hell.

“Juleka,” Master Fu said warmly, as if the gate hadn’t slammed against the fence and Juleka wasn’t gasping for breath like she’d run all the way there from the Louvre. Which she had.

“You have…to save them,” Juleka blurted between gasps. She bent and put her hands on her knees, drawing in air in a desperate kind of way that matched the feeling in her chest. Her message was delivered. She could breathe for a moment and Master Fu would take care of it. Master Fu would-

“Sit down, Juleka,” Master Fu said calmly. Juleka’s head flew up, her bangs whipping at her face. Master Fu, far from taking charge and saving lives as Juleka had expected, was simply sitting in his seat, watching her serenely, cup of tea held lightly in his hands.

“No, Master Fu, you don’t understand,” Juleka said, still breathing heavily, but possessing enough air to make him see. Because he _couldn’t_ understand if he was just _sitting_ there. “An akuma has-”

“Turned Adrien and Marinette to stone,” Master Fu said, still infuriatingly calm. “I know. Sit down.” This time when he said it, it was a command. Still kind, still calm, but firm, allowing no arguments. Juleka stared at him for a minute, her heart struggling to continue beating at its same fast pace. However, her respect for Master Fu overruled her panic. She forced herself to slow, forced herself to take her normal seat at the iron table, forced herself to accept a smile from Wayzz and to watch Master Fu pour her a cup of tea, slowly so that the liquid wouldn’t splash as it slid into the teacup. Master Fu handed her the tea and Juleka took it, realizing, now that she was holding warmth, that her hands were cold. It was cold outside. She had forgotten her coat in her haste that morning.

They sat in silence for a moment. Juleka sipped her tea in the automatic way of long-established habit. The Oolong did not calm her now, however. She suffered the silence, but they did not have time for this. Rose was waiting, Rose was frozen, Rose was-

“You have to save them, Master Fu,” Juleka said, when she couldn’t wait through the silence any longer.

“I cannot,” Master Fu said, a sad smile pulling at his lips.

“What?” Juleka blurted, staring at Master Fu, staring at the last hope she had, the person who always, _always_ made it better. She looked at Wayzz, but he wore the same expression, sorrowful and regretful and too damn calm. “But you have to. How will the akuma be stopped?”

“The Guardian-” Master Fu started.

“ _You_ said the Guardian could fight in times of need,” Juleka interrupted, her voice hot and accusatory. She put her teacup down on the table, not gently enough and not caring, because she could not listen to this again, could not listen to excuses, to failure, to _save me, save me, save me_ \- “ _Now_ is a time of need.”

“The Guardian is a store of information, a protector that the world cannot afford to lose,” Master Fu continued as if Juleka hadn’t spoken. He paused, sighing deeply, his face flickering from its kind sympathy into something darker. “I am too old to go into battle and guarantee that I will emerge.” Wayzz left his teacup to settle on Master Fu’s shoulder, his hand touching his cheek softly, compassionately. Juleka felt some of her anger cool, reacting instinctively to the pain in Master Fu’s eyes. But it flared up again, fanned by memories of the pain in Rose’s eyes, to the knowledge that she was waiting, _waiting_ -

“So, you’re just going to leave them there?” Juleka demanded, knowing that she would hate herself for this later, but not capable of caring with the sickening knot of hopelessness and sorrow and target-less anger sitting in her chest. “You’re going to let Hawkmoth win?”

“Hawkmoth’s goal is to get the Miraculous,” Master Fu said calmly, his face falling back into the calm mask it had been before. Wayzz frowned at her, but he said nothing, staying on Master Fu’s shoulder. “He cannot do that while Adrien and Marinette are stone.”

“This is their _lives_ at stake,” Juleka fumed, pushing out of her chair and pacing, trying to let out the terrible, destructive energy burning in her. “You can’t just do _nothing_ and wait for Hawkmoth to figure out that he has Ladybug and Chat Noir in his grasp.”

“Juleka,” Master Fu sighed, tracking her as she paced. “We will not do nothing.” Juleka stopped in her tracks, turning to stare at Master Fu again, at Wayzz where he rested on Master Fu’s shoulder.

“But you said-” Juleka started.

“I said that _I_ cannot go into battle,” Master Fu said, his face solemn as he regarded her. “But _you_ can.”

 

_Oh._

 

“We understand that you already turned down the Miraculous,” Master Fu continued smoothly, still holding his tea with his healer’s- warrior’s- Guardian’s hands. As if Juleka’s world wasn’t shifting on its axis. “I would not ask you again now if there were a better choice. The remaining Miraculouses lack the strength and the skills necessary to defeat and purify an akuma, nor do we have all the time in the world to find another holder for any of them. As you said, we cannot wait for Hawkmoth to figure out that he has our heroes in his grasp.

“That being said,” Master Fu said then, those kind eyes regarding Juleka carefully, “you can still say no.”

“We could look for another turtle holder,” Wayzz explained, as if he realized how false that sounded. “It would be a long shot, but we could try. Or Master Fu could go into battle and hope for the best.”

“I’ve still got it,” Master Fu assured her, puffing out his chest a little and holding up a fist. Wayzz rolled his eyes at him fondly, but an edge of concern tainted his amused smile.

“You could still say no,” Master Fu repeated, letting his hand fall back to his teacup and his face fall back into seriousness. “But this is the best way.”

While Master Fu and Wayzz told her all of this, trying so hard to walk the line between pressuring her into the decision and communicating the seriousness of the situation, Juleka was listening in a strange kind of detached numbness. She took in their words, but she didn’t really process, because what they said was hardly important at this point. From the moment Master Fu had voiced the option, Juleka’s mind had been centered on the one thing that mattered, the one question that had to be answered:

Why?

Why did she say no to the Miraculous?

Juleka could make things complex all she wanted. She could hide behind excuses and dodge questions, ignore dreams that asked her night after night after night. She could construct wooden barricades to keep her thoughts in line and never look any deeper.

But the time for ignorance had passed. Rose needed her.

Instead of processing Master Fu’s words, Juleka used the burning in her chest to burn through the barricades in her mind, one by one, tearing down the careful constructions she had built to keep herself safe from one simple truth that had been there all along:

She was afraid.

Deep in the back of her mind, the dark corners Juleka shied away from, places from which sprang things like _why didn’t you save me?_ and _we see the error of that decision now_ , lay that complexly simple reality, ticking away quietly, never stopping.

Juleka was afraid that she would fail.

She was afraid that she would accept the Miraculous and the responsibilities and then, when her friends needed her most, she would let them down. She was afraid that she was not good enough to stand up with Adrien and Marinette and protect what they all loved. She was afraid that she would have to watch as everything she loved was destroyed by her inadequacy.

Looking such fear in the face was hard. It hurt and it overwhelmed and maybe it had been quiet before, but now it was loud, roaring in her ears and suffocating her and pressing down on her back with a weight that was all too familiar. Examining it, standing in Master Fu’s garden, safe and supported and falling apart, was one of the hardest things Juleka had ever had to do.

She did it anyway. She looked even though it hurt, examined even though it overwhelmed, listened even though it roared. Because in the end, whether Juleka was afraid or not, there was no choice. It was simple.

Juleka’s choice would always be Rose.

Once the decision was made, it seemed easy, like the fear wasn’t still raging in her mind, like she wasn’t still being crushed by a weight upon her back, like it hadn’t taken months to get to this point.

Like she’d been headed here all along.

Juleka looked up, met Master Fu’s eyes, then Wayzz’s. They both smiled at her, calm as always, and perhaps a little relieved to see her back from wherever her mind had gone.

“Okay,” Juleka said, surprised to find her voice steady, when it felt like it should be raw and wrecked after the battle she’d just had. “I accept the Miraculous.”

 

“Oh. That was faster than I anticipated,” Wayzz said, exchanging a look with Master Fu.

“Faster?” Juleka asked, blinking down at him. He winced and shrugged his little shoulders. “It’s taken literally months for me to come to this decision; what about this is fast? Rose is _waiting_.”

“Rose is stone, Juleka,” Master Fu pointed out. “Time is not passing for her. This is not something that can be rushed.”

“But-” Juleka started heatedly, because she’d just faced down her fear, damn it.

“Now that you have indicated a willingness to take the Miraculous, there is more we must discuss,” Master Fu said firmly. “Once you accept the Turtle, it is not so easy to turn back. You need to know what you are saying yes to.” He gestured towards the empty chair with a placating hand.

“Explain,” Juleka sighed, sitting down in her chair and picking up her teacup. She was tired all of a sudden, and still hyper-aware of a building miles and miles away.

“We told you that things move differently for the Turtle,” Master Fu said. “It’s more than just training. It also affects your life.”

“Okay?” Juleka asked impatiently, because that seemed rather obvious. Any sort of secret superhero identity was _of course_ going to affect one’s life, what-

“He means that the Turtle holder is granted an extended lifespan,” Wayzz explained.

 _Oh_ , Juleka thought, trying to absorb that information. She looked up at Master Fu, who nodded.

“The extended lifespan is part of what makes the Turtle holder perfect as the Guardian,” Master Fu said cheerfully. Wayzz’s chest puffed out a little.

“ _How_ extended?” Juleka asked, narrowing her eyes at Master Fu. He looked old, sure, but he was spry despite his gray hair. She didn’t think he was all that much older than was normal, but-

“I just had my 187th birthday,” Master Fu said, smiling with amusement as Juleka’s jaw dropped.

“Oh my god,” Juleka breathed, staring at him, searching his face for evidence of all those extra years. The only clue that she could find was the deep wisdom in his eyes. Eyes that had seen much, much more than Juleka had guessed. She searched for some way to respond to this new information, some appropriate response to finding out one of your closest friends had first-hand experience of the nineteenth century…

“You’re older than lightbulbs,” Juleka blurted. She winced as soon as she said it, but she refused to blame herself for responding strangely to such a huge- and _old_ \- bombshell. Master Fu and Wayzz apparently didn’t blame her either, because they started laughing

“Yes, Juleka,” Master Fu said between laughs. “I am indeed older than lightbulbs.”

“He’s older than cars too,” Wayzz said helpfully.

“Sorry,” Juleka sighed, taking a long sip of her tea and dragging one hand down her face. They all shifted back to seriousness almost immediately as Juleka looked at them, the laughter fading from their faces. “So, you’re saying that if I accept the Turtle Miraculous, I’ll live to be 187?”

“Or older,” Master Fu confirmed with a nod.

“Even if I gave it back?” Juleka asked, though she knew that once she took it, the chances of her going back were not very high.

“You could give it back and be just fine,” Master Fu said slowly. He met Juleka’s eye steadily, his face somber as he said, “However, its connection to me will already be severed.”

Juleka felt the blood drain out of her face.

 

_No._

 

“You’d die,” Juleka whispered. She meant it as a question, but she knew from Master Fu’s face, too serious, and Wayzz’s face, too sad, that she was right.

“Yes,” Master Fu said simply.

“And you want me to take it?” Juleka asked, demanded, begged.

“Eventually, I will die, whether there is someone to take over for me or not,” Master Fu said, with a small, sad smile. “And as you can see, I am no longer as effective as a Guardian as I once was.”

“Master Fu,” Juleka said, her voice small and miserable in her own ears. “You can’t die. You’re all I have.”

“You’re wrong,” Master Fu said immediately with a firm shake of his head. “Maybe once it was true, but you have so much now. You have Rose, Adrien and Marinette, Nino and Alya.”

“You have Tikki and Plagg too. I can tell from your stories,” Wayzz said, leaving Master Fu’s shoulder to dart over to Juleka, laying a comforting hand on her skin. “And you have me. Master Fu might pass on, but I would still be here.” Juleka stared down at him, unable to deny how much different her life was now than when she had first met Master Fu years before.

“I still don’t want you to die,” Juleka whispered, staring down into her teacup. Master Fu held out his hand and Juleka took it without hesitation, peering up at him through the hazy film of the tears collecting in her eyes. This was the first time she’d cried since that night after the Christmas party, when everything had been falling apart in a different way.

“It is hard, I know. _We_ know,” Master Fu said, smiling softly at Wayzz even as he squeezed Juleka’s hand, kind and warm and feeling like home. “But it is something that must happen. I won’t die right away. The connection to the Miraculous will fade gradually. I will have just enough time to train you to be the Guardian. However, you need to consider another way this could affect you.”

“What could be worse than you dying?” Juleka asked sardonically.

“You would outlive Rose,” Master Fu said quietly.

 

_Oh._

 

“This is what you are saying yes to, Juleka,” Wayzz said, his hands encouraging and smooth and feeling like possibility. “This is what you must consider.”

Juleka stared at Master Fu for a moment that felt like eternity, torn between the love she had in front of her and the love trapped in stone on the other side of the city, between the pain she _could_ feel now and the pain she _would_ feel later. She was afraid for a different reason now, afraid to let go of something she cherished, afraid to take a step towards a pain she knew she would suffer.

It scared Juleka to know that the outcome would eventually be the same. That no matter what might come to pass, what she might stand to lose, what she might have to suffer, she would still move forward on the path she had chosen. That she would watch her loved ones die one by one, and yet her choice would not change.

She focused on hands against her skin. Guardian’s hands. One pair smooth and the other pair old and both loving in a way that ached and groaned and protected at all costs. Master Fu had always understood her in a way no one else had and perhaps it was because they would both make this decision.

“My answer is the same,” Juleka said softly, looking up at two pairs of eyes, at two sad smiles, at two indications that Juleka’s life was about to change in the most terrifying and permanent way imaginable.

“Are you sure?” Master Fu asked, his hand firm and protective on Juleka’s.

“Yes,” Juleka said, much more calmly than she felt.

“Okay,” Master Fu said, the word echoing in Juleka’s head in a way that told her she would never forget it. Master Fu let go of Juleka’s hand and rose from his seat, setting his teacup down in its saucer. Juleka followed suit, looking down at him as they stood next to the little iron table, anticipation thrumming in her chest, not entirely unpleasant.

“Ready?” Master Fu asked, addressing not Juleka, but Wayzz. The kwami flew up to Master Fu, hovering in front of him.

“It has been a pleasure serving with you, Master,” Wayzz said, bowing his head.

“And you as well, Wayzz,” Master Fu said, smiling at him softly and returning the gesture, this sign of respect at the end of their journey. Then they both turned to Juleka, their faces proud and wise in a way that Juleka could only hope to achieve one day. Fear trickled into her chest, but she ignored it. There was only one path for her now.

Master Fu looked down then, his eyes fixed on his wrist. Juleka stared at his wrist too, only now focusing on the bracelet that rested there. Juleka blinked at it, something shifting as if a lens had come into focus. It was obvious now that the little jade turtle was the Miraculous. It had always been a normal thing, just another part of Master Fu, like his Hawaiian shirts and his khaki shorts. Now Juleka could almost feel it calling to her, drawing her in.

Master touched the bracelet briefly, his face just as fond as when he had looked at Wayzz. Then, in a swift, easy motion, Master Fu pulled it off of his wrist. There was a flash of pale golden light, almost white, and then Wayzz was gone. Juleka barely had time to blink before Master Fu was holding the bracelet out to her. Juleka searched his face one last time, took comfort in his smile, before she took it.

As soon as the bracelet settled into place, carved jade cool and heavy through the lace of her glove, Juleka felt something shift in her.

It was something small, so small, but unmistakable, distinct.

Something clicked into place, something that had always been there, just a touch out of synch, something that completed Juleka in a way she’d never known she needed. All at once it became absurd that she would ever resist this.

This was inevitable, this was forever, this was _right_.

Juleka could almost feel the strings of the universe that had led them to this moment.

A sphere of that same pale golden light burst from the bracelet, momentarily blinding Juleka and setting off a ringing in her ears. When it faded and Juleka had blinked the spots from her eyes, Wayzz was smiling up at her.

“Welcome, Juleka,” Wayzz said ceremoniously, even though he was grinning, “to the Guardianship.” Something in Juleka’s chest swelled at those words, something warm and bright that pushed aside the dark emotions for the moment. She grinned back at Wayzz, touching her fingers to the stone on her wrist. To her Miraculous.

“Now that that’s out of the way,” Master Fu said, amusement glinting in his eyes as he stepped up and clasped a hand on Juleka’s shoulder. “Let’s get started. We have a damsel to save. And Marinette and Rose.”

Juleka chuckled and followed Master Fu as he walked inside, Wayzz at her side, leaving half-full teacups growing cold on the iron table.

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Juleka’s focus was interrupted by her ringing phone.

“Sorry,” Juleka sighed, dropping out of the exercise Master Fu had her working on.

“It’s alright,” Master Fu said soothingly, the effect ruined by the ringing phone. “I told you that this takes time. Take a break. Answer the phone.” Juleka sighed again, allowing the dredges of her focus to slip away as she stepped off of the mat and over to the bureau where she’d thrown the device when they started training. Juleka didn’t want to answer her phone. It wasn’t going to be who she wanted it to be and she needed to get back to work, needed to get as much knowledge in as she could before she had to go in against Madusa completely blind.

However, when Juleka saw the caller ID, she knew she had to answer.

“Hey, Alya,” Juleka answered, ready to calm or comfort or divert; whatever she needed to do to keep Alya away from the Louvre. If she knew that Juleka was going, she would want to come and Juleka was going to have enough on her hands just keeping _herself_ safe.

“ _She can’t stone you if she can’t see you_ ,” Alya said rather than returning the greeting.

“What?” Juleka asked, when she finally digested Alya’s words.

“ _Madusa. The akuma_ ,” Alya said briskly. Juleka wished that Alya was standing in front of her so that she could read in her face what wasn't being said in words. “ _The legend is that if you just look at Medusa, you turn into stone, but the akuma turns people that can see her to stone with a beam she shoots from her eyes. She can’t stone you if she can’t see you._ ”

“I- how do you know that?” Juleka asked, more than a little bewildered. Master Fu raised an eyebrow at her, and Juleka mouthed Alya. He nodded sagely as if that explained everything.

“ _Eye witness statements, analysis of the security tapes, and a lot of arguing with Nino_ ,” Alya said. Juleka heard Nino’s voice in the background, but they both ignored him. Juleka focused on something more important.

“Security tapes?” Juleka asked.

“ _Don’t worry about it_ ,” Alya said, firmly enough that Juleka knew she wasn’t going to get any more out of her.

“Okay,” Juleka said slowly. “Why are you telling me this?”

“ _You’re going in_ ,” Alya said matter-of-factly, like it was obvious. “ _You’re going to need everything you can get_.”

“What?” Juleka blurted. She winced, trying to school her voice so that it wasn’t so obvious that she was lying. “I’m not-”

“ _Jules_ ,” Alya interrupted, sounding unimpressed. “ _I may not have been able to see through the glamour, but I can see through you._ ”

Juleka was silent, unsure of how to respond and too mentally exhausted to try to outmaneuver Alya of all people.

“ _Look,_ ” Alya said, “ _I know we can’t go with you. We-_ ” Alya paused, letting out a tiny, frustrated sigh. “ _We’d just be liabilities._ ”

“Alya,” Juleka said softly.

“ _It doesn’t matter_ ,” Alya said quickly. “ _We can’t go with you, but we can give you all the help we can._ ” Juleka was silent for a moment, weighing her options. Alya may have sounded sad, but she also sounded determined and calm, ready to do what was needed.

“Thank you,” Juleka said at last. “That’s actually really helpful.”

“ _Good,_ ” Alya said, sounding relieved. “ _If there’s anything else we can do, text me. Okay?_ ”

“Actually,” Juleka said, looking over at Master Fu, who was still watching her. “Can you find out where Madusa is right now?”

“ _She’s still in the Greek Antiquities room_ ,” Alya said immediately. “ _She’s been pacing around in front of the_ Winged Victory _ever since she popped up and stoned everyone with her eye beams._ ”

“Can you tell me where Marinette is?” Juleka asked, still looking at Master Fu. He raised an eyebrow at the question.

“ _Yeah, I think,_ ” Alya said, her voice muffling abruptly as she covered the phone with her hand. “ _Adrien and Marinette are also in front of the_ Winged Victory _. They’re right off of the circle that Madusa is surrounded by, to the left when you’re facing the statue._ ”

 _Of course_ , Juleka thought, sighing to herself. _Why would they be anywhere else?_

“ _I can also tell you where Rose is_ ,” Alya said hesitantly. Juleka felt her chest contract. “ _If you want that as well_.” Juleka considered the offer, considered asking Alya for anything she could give her on Rose, if she was safe, if she was okay, where she was. However, she knew by the feeling in her chest that that would be a bad idea. Rose was a big part of why she was doing this, but she couldn’t be the focus right now. She would only distract Juleka from her plan.

“Thank you, but no,” Juleka said, closing her eyes against the pain. “If I need anything else, I’ll let you know.”

“ _Okay_ ,” Alya said doubtfully, as if she knew that Juleka was going to do everything in her power to keep them out of this. “ _Whatever you’re going to do, you should do it sooner rather than later._ ” Juleka paused at that. There was, of course, the latent urgency, but other than that their friends weren’t in any danger. However, Alya’s warning made it sound like there was something more at stake.

“Why?” Juleka asked cautiously.

“ _People are beginning to panic_ ,” Alya said, the edge of worry picking up in her voice. “ _Some are saying that Ladybug and Chat Noir aren’t coming this time. A lot of people think the police should go ahead and try to take care of Madusa themselves._ ”

“Damn it,” Juleka muttered, rubbing the heel of her hand against her forehead. “Because it’s worked _so_ well before.”

“ _Right_ ,” Alya said, the sardonic exasperation in her voice matching what Juleka was feeling to the letter. “ _Get on it before either the police get antsy and decide to go in, or Madusa gets antsy and decides to come out. It’s unusual for the akuma to stay in one place for this long._ ”

“I know,” Juleka said. “I’ll move as fast as I can.”

“ _Good luck, Jules_ ,” Alya said. “ _Go save our girls._ ” Nino said something in the background. “ _And Adrien, I guess._ ”

“Thanks, Alya,” Juleka said. She hung up, staring down at her phone for a moment, fitting her new information into what they’d already known.

“Well?” Master Fu asked. Juleka looked up at him, a small smile spreading across her face.

“I think we have a chance,” Juleka said. She tossed her phone back on the bureau and grazed her fingers across the jade resting on her wrist. Then she got back to work.

Alya’s information changed things in more ways than one. Juleka was no longer going in blind, which helped immensely.

But they were also running out of time.

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“I’ve given you as much as I can,” Master Fu announced, stepping onto the mat and placing his hands on Juleka’s shoulders so that she would stop the exercise. “You are as ready as you can be for this fight.” Juleka stared down at him, fear bubbling up in her chest, squeezing it tight.

“What if I can’t do it?” Juleka asked quietly, thinking of the half a million things that could go wrong with her plan.

“Rose needs you to, so you will,” Master Fu said calmly, his hands comforting weights on Juleka’s shoulders. Juleka took a deep breath, doing her best to exhale her anxieties out with the carbon dioxide. It didn’t work very well, but she could see Rose in her mind and that helped.

“Okay,” Juleka said, nodding more confidently than she felt. “Okay.”

“It is time,” Wayzz said, coming to hover in front of Juleka.

Juleka felt the weight of this moment thrumming in her veins, rushing in her ears, expanding in her chest. Putting on the bracelet had been the moment her life changed course, but this was the moment that the path began to take hold. This was the moment Juleka officially joined the ranks of the superheroes. As much as she loved Adrien and Marinette, it had always been _them_. They had always been something outside of her, an experience that she may be able to understand theoretically but had never truly known. Had never thought to know. This was the moment she crossed that line between her and them.

This was the moment the course Juleka had chosen began to diverge from everything she knew.

“Wayzz,” Juleka said, the word heavy on her lips. “Shell up.”

Wayzz was sucked into the bracelet, melting into a green blur, and then golden light was running across Juleka’s body, leaving the transformation in its wake.

 

Juleka could understand now why Marinette had a hard time believing that she and Ladybug were the same person.

 

Juleka had never felt this way before, the sheer power lying beneath her skin, simply waiting to be called upon. There was an energy coursing through her that hadn’t been there before, a tangible sense of confidence, of possibility, of her ability to do what needed to be done. She still felt like herself, but this sensation of potential was completely unfamiliar.

It was exhilarating.

“Feel different?” Master Fu asked. Juleka blinked at him. Then she nodded, feeling her face heat. She was startled when her bangs fell in front of her face. The ends were no longer purple. They were green.

“Would you like to see?” Master Fu asked, his tone amused now. Juleka’s cheeks burned hotter, but she nodded again, following Master Fu when he beckoned. She followed him out of the main room and down the hall. Master Fu opened a door and stepped aside, watching Juleka’s face. The door led to a closet, but Juleka completely ignored what was inside. Her attention was caught by the mirror on the back of the door.

She looked so _different_.

Sure, Juleka’s general shape was the same. Those were her lips, her cheekbones, her arms and legs and hips. But her body was made alien by the skintight suit it was wrapped in, just like Ladybug’s and Chat Noir’s. The base color was a pale green, topped by dark brown hexagons that covered her arms and legs, stopping mid-bicep and mid-thigh. Her hair, the ends indeed turned green, was tied back. Her face was half covered by a mask and her eyes had turned dark green and yellow to match Wayzz’s. On her back was mounted a large shield, edged with a dark green band and covered in hexagons outlined in a matching green.

The shield was lighter than Juleka had expected, barely noticeable where it sat, waiting to be used. Looking at it now, Juleka thought she should have known that it would not be too heavy for her to carry.

Juleka raised a hand to her cheek, jumping a little when the cool material of the suit touched her skin.

“What do you think?” Master Fu asked softly. Juleka tore her eyes away from her appearance, green strands distracting her out of the corner of her eye. Juleka considered him, considered the energy thrumming through her.

“I like it,” Juleka decided, a grin spreading across her face. Things did not feel quite so dire now. Juleka was a superhero. She had a plan and she had power and she would save the people she loved.

“Good,” Master Fu said with an approving nod. “Then you must go.” Juleka nodded and stepped away from the mirror without a backward glance. She led the way out of the hallway, out of the house, stepping out into the cold air, the defiant sunshine, the beautiful garden, waiting and expectant.

Juleka took the shield off of her back as she walked into the center of the garden, the latch that held it disengaging smoothly. She ran her fingers over the smooth surface, then slid her hand into the handle on the back. She felt along the seam in the middle until she found a little button close to the edge, just as Master Fu had told her she would. She pressed it, watching in awe as the shield immediately folded, both halves sliding in on themselves until Juleka was holding something that looked more like a propeller than a shield.

Juleka looked over her shoulder at Master Fu, calm and serene behind her. He nodded at her.

“They’re waiting for you,” Master Fu said. Juleka nodded. Then she grasped the edge of the shield as Master Fu had taught her and spun it, hard. It spun faster and faster, rapidly accelerating until it was nothing but a green blur, somehow silent as it beat the air in a way that could only be attributed to magic. Juleka held it steady as she took a deep breath.

Then she ran.

Then she jumped.

 

The first time Juleka flew, she had been certain she was going to die. She had floated in the Earth’s atmosphere in a green bubble and gazed down on Paris rendered miniature, helplessly waiting for Ladybug and Chat Noir to bring them down safely. Floating up and up and up.

The second time Juleka flew, she had clung to Chat Noir’s back as he vaulted from rooftop to rooftop, soaring up and then crashing down again and again. She had thought of roller coasters as she was jolted around on bony shoulders, and had wished they never had to come back down.

The third time Juleka flew, she had glided through the air in Ladybug’s arms, seconds after almost being crushed by an akuma. She couldn’t see through the snow in her eyes and the wind whipping her face, but when the long swing ended, Juleka wished that it had taken a little longer to get to safety.

This time was different than those times, but the sensation was the same. A soaring in the pit of her stomach, a weightlessness, a euphoria that stood outside of circumstances and worries and fears. When Juleka took off, her impossible propeller carrying her into the air, everything dropped away for the moment, leaving only the sensation of flying.

This time, Juleka was not hindered by a bubble, not dependent upon someone else’s strength. Juleka flew on her terms, under her own power, merely leaning in the direction she wanted to go and shooting off, faster than should be possible. The reality of her situation set back in fast, but for that moment, Juleka allowed herself to disappear in wind against her face and Paris rushing by below her.

 

When Juleka landed, she was too far away to hear the murmurs of the crowd behind the barricade, but she could see the increase in movement when she looked over her shoulder. She could imagine what was going on, the whispers, the questions, the confusion, but she couldn’t worry about it, not now.

She had arrived at the Louvre.

The battle had already begun.

Juleka found the button on her shield and pressed it, holding it away from her as it extended back into its perfect circle. She held it in front of her as she approached the huge glass doors. She thanked any and all deities that were invested in the outcome of this fight that they were unlocked and strolled into the reception area.

Juleka was familiar with the Louvre as most Parisians were. She was familiar with its huge glass reception area with its spiral staircase. She knew what it usually looked like, filled with people (with tourists) and echoing with hundreds of voices.

Perhaps that was why it was so eerie to find it silent.

The museum had been evacuated, Juleka knew that. This space was empty mostly because all of the people that had formerly been there were safe now. But Juleka could not shake the feeling that crept into her chest as she walked through the space. A heavy, anxious feeling, almost like she was being watched, but worse. She carried it in the space between her shield and her body and continued on her path, towards the flight of stairs that would take her to the Greek Antiquities room.

Juleka walked carefully as she moved through empty halls, walking past ancient paintings and statues. Ignored and unviewed. It seemed _wrong_. To be here without other people, without hushed conversation or perhaps a loud tour. It seemed wrong that somewhere, the Mona Lisa was sitting unadmired.

Juleka walked carefully, but her steps still seemed too loud.

Juleka’s _breathing_ seemed too loud in the achingly abandoned rooms.

Juleka was torn between the need to get to the akuma, to finally have this be over, to fight and win and have Rose in her arms, and the need to move slowly enough to not be noticed, not be caught off guard, to maintain the element of surprise that was all that Juleka had going for her at the moment. Keeping close to the walls, she held her shield tighter and moved slower the closer she got to the room. By the time she rounded the last corner, she was almost crawling, she was moving so slowly.

Still, Juleka was caught off guard by the first statue.

She froze as she came face to face with the back of a man’s head.

The hairs on his head were rendered in exquisite detail that never would have been possible on a real statue. Each follicle was perfectly carved from smooth white stone.

The unlucky man must have had a view of Madusa from his place leaning against the doorway between rooms. His stance was relaxed, his hands in his pockets, his head craned over his shoulder to see what was happening. He hadn’t realized what was going on yet.

Juleka looked past the man leaned against the door. The next statue was halfway between the doorway and the beginning of the stairs, lying sideways on the ground, not steady enough to stay upright without two feet to steady it. The woman had been running, her hair splaying out as her head whipped around to glance behind her, her face terrified. She had known. She had been running for her life.

Juleka carefully moved towards the stairs, hoping that Madusa was still in the same place Alya had reported. She didn’t want to slow down to the right speed just yet, not with two entire flights of stairs between her and the _Winged Victory_ , where Madusa was supposed to be. But she also couldn’t afford to rush. So, Juleka continued at her crawling pace, carefully, carefully. She reached the foot of the stairs, standing next to a cluster of frightened looking girls, and joined them in staring up. Just visible at the top, almost swallowed by the swarm of pale statues, was the one masterpiece that had drawn all of these victims here that morning, bathed in the warm light of the waning afternoon.

Madusa was nowhere in sight.

Juleka wished there was some sort of noise, any sort of noise, to take away from the awful, staring faces of the statues around her.

That, of course, was before she became aware of a faint hissing.

It was quiet, so quiet that Juleka wasn’t even sure that it was there until she had ventured up a few more steps. Then she was certain. Something in the room- no, several somethings in the room were hissing, the sound high and thin and unnerving. Juleka regretted her wish as she continued up the stairs, the hissing sound growing louder and louder, burrowing under her skin, setting her nerves on edge. She wove her way between stone people, their faces twisted in surprise and curiosity and terror, standing and waiting for a chance to look at the statue, or lying on their sides with their heads twisted to look over their shoulders. And she listened to the hissing, because she had no other choice.

Juleka had just reached the top of the first flight of stairs. She was wondering if maybe she ought to slow down now, just in case. The hissing was louder than ever. Whatever was making the sound, it was getting closer as Juleka moved up. It would take longer if she went slow enough, but it would only help-

“Don’t get your panties in a twist, Hawky,” a voice said suddenly, too loud in the silent room, echoing off the vaulted ceiling and bouncing off of walls so that it sounded like it was everywhere, mixing with the ever-present hissing as it faded. Juleka froze in her place, hardly daring to breathe as the voice reverberated past her ears.

_Madusa._

“They’ll show up eventually,” Madusa said, her voice low and smooth and sinister. “When they do, it’ll be on my playing field on my terms. They won’t know what hit them.”

 _Good luck with that_ , Juleka thought. She closed her eyes, listening to the echoing of Medusa’s voice carefully. It seemed to be coming from the top of the stairs, just as Alya had said. So far, everything was going according to plan. Which meant that it was time for Juleka to play her part.

She breathed in deep and slow, the way Master Fu had taught her.

 

 _The turtle is not like the other Miraculous_ , Master Fu had said.

 

She breathed in again, and this time, she held it in her lungs, not moving a muscle as she waited.

 

 _Bug and cat and bee and fox and bird_ , Master Fu had said. _Quick and bright and active._

 

Juleka held her breath for a long moment, holding as still as she could, waiting for that tiny piece of her, the one that she had felt settle into place when she had put the Miraculous on her wrist, to move as Master Fu had promised it would.

 

_The turtle is not those things._

 

She felt the moment it happened. Her lungs were burning, but she felt it, that little click inside her.

 

_The turtle is slow and careful and cautious. It does not run and it rarely strikes._

 

Juleka let her breath out slowly, resisting the urge to gasp like she wanted to so badly. She breathed out in a continuous stream, out and out and out. Then she breathed in just as carefully, relishing in the feeling of fresh air in her lungs.

 

_The turtle uses tough protection to keep it safe and hides when that is not enough._

 

Juleka was almost afraid to look, afraid it hadn’t worked, afraid that all of their hard work and planning had been for naught. However, she moved her head slowly, carefully, and looked down at her body and her shield. She smiled slowly, carefully, when she saw the vague outline of her limbs, not quite invisible, but hidden, unseen.

 

_The turtle can be fierce when it needs to be and quick when it has to be, but the strength of the turtle lies in the slow and the steady._

 

Juleka looked back up at the top of the stairs. Madusa had stopped speaking, but Juleka knew she was there now, knew the source of the hissing. The Winged Victory stood in the almost-silence, towering above its stone admirers, beckoning Juleka forward. Juleka breathed deep. Then slowly, so very slowly, she moved forward, starting her long, careful trek up the second flight of stairs.

 

 _Let the others race,_ Master Fu had said, a proud smile spreading across his face. _The turtle is made to outlast._

 

 _Outlast_ , Juleka thought now, moving slowly and smoothly as Master Fu had taught her, had made her practice over and over in the time that they had. It was certainly a matter of outlasting, her muscles screaming at her to move faster, faster, faster, and her mind screaming at her to slow down or risk losing the tenuous camouflage her powers granted her. If she moved too quickly, made a sound too loud, her camouflage would drop and she would be visible in all her bright green glory. So, she firmly told her muscles to _shut up_ and continued on.

Silent and still.

Juleka felt like one of the statues, moving too slowly to truly be human.

Silent and still.

She took a smooth step upwards, controlling her ascent meticulously. Like tea being poured so that it does not splash.

Silent and still.

Juleka trusted to instincts that she had been trained in long before she’d ever met Master Fu.

Silent and still.

That was what kept her moving slowly when she got to the top of the stairs and she finally got a glimpse of Madusa.

Juleka’s attention was immediately drawn by the source of the hissing noise, loud and all-encompassing now that she had reached it. She was unsurprised, really, to find that Madusa had snakes for hair, long and thin and vibrant emerald green. It fit with the legend after all, as did the wings, large and feathered with dark plumage that shimmered green when they shifted. However, when she turned around, her face didn’t follow the stories. Madusa was beautiful, her face vaguely familiar despite the stark white color of her skin and the royal blue mask that curled around her eyes. Those eyes. They were blank white between the dark lashes, lacking both pupil and iris, just a blank, unnerving expanse.

Juleka paused at the top of the stairs, watching through the thick ring of statues as Madusa paced, her long dress flowing around her ankles as she walked. She moved back and forth in the center of the circle, her arms crossing and uncrossing over her chest. Then she stopped, her head tilted down as she stared at something.

That was when Juleka realized that there were two statues in the center of the circle, rather than part of the surrounding ring. It was hard to tell through the clutter of statues, but they definitely stood apart from the rest, a man, his face frozen in a scowl, and a little girl, her hair gathered into pigtails. Juleka didn’t recognize the man, but the little girl was definitely Manon, the kid Marinette babysat. Madusa was staring at her, her face contemplative, almost sad. Juleka watched her, wondered why those two statues were singled out, why Madusa would be looking that way at a random kid. Unless…

Unless the akuma was Nadja Chamack, Manon’s mother.

That was why she looked familiar. Juleka watched her on the news regularly. In fact, almost every time she looked up akuma information. That face was a regular part of Juleka’s day.

And so was the necklace around her neck, darkened by the akuma that possessed it, but there nonetheless, as it always was when Nadja did a broadcast.

Juleka had made it to the top of the stairs. She had located Madusa. She had even identified the akumatized item. Now, it was time to move forward with the plan. Juleka took another deep breath and began to move again, half expecting Madusa’s blank white eyes to snap up to her. However, Madusa only continued gazing at Manon.

Juleka took one slow step forward.

“What?” Madusa asked suddenly. Juleka froze. She just barely gathered the courage to slide her eyes back towards Madusa. She relaxed a little when she saw that Madusa was not looking at her, instead staring off into the distance with the glowing outline of a butterfly hovering over her face. “You’d think you’d have more patience for someone that has been fighting a pair of kids for months,” Madusa said sardonically, the smooth voice Juleka was accustomed to hearing report the news expertly applied to mocking Hawkmoth.

Juleka desperately wished that she could remain still while Madusa talked to Hawkmoth, her instincts telling her to stay silent and frozen. However, now was the best time to move, while Madusa was distracted. And from the sound of their conversation, Juleka was running out of time. So, she forced herself to continue, half-listening to Madusa bicker with Hawkmoth, and began to painstakingly search for Marinette’s face in the sea of stone.

It was difficult to pick out individual people amongst so many uniformly colored shapes. Juleka examined face after face, hoping that Alya had been correct in identifying Marinette on the crappy security tape.

 _To the left when I’m facing the statue_ , Juleka thought, carefully turning her head.

It was strictly bad luck that Juleka’s eye caught on her.

Juleka should have been able to continue on, focused on the task at hand, unaware. Amongst so many figures, she should have blended in, unseen.

_Rose._

Juleka was lurching forward before she even knew what she was doing, forgetting _silent and still_ and _outlast_ and _tea being poured_ in the face of those wide, frightened eyes.

She froze as soon as she realized what she had done, but it was too late.

Juleka’s eyes were locked on Rose’s terrified face, but she was still able to see Madusa’s head whip around out of the corner of her eye. Her mocking voice cut out and so did the hissing, plunging them into perfect silence for the first time since Juleka had set foot on the stairs.

Juleka held her breath.

She knew that Madusa was looking straight at her, could feel her gaze on her skin, crawling up the back of her neck underneath her suit.

This couldn’t be it. It _couldn’t_ be. Juleka had come so far, had gotten all the way here; Rose was so close to her, stone-still across the circle and staring at her with those eyes. Juleka couldn’t be caught now. Not now.

She didn’t breathe.

She waited.

 

“Nothing,” Madusa said absently, like her attention was focused on something else, on solving some puzzle. The hissing started up again. “I just thought I saw something. Of _course_ , something alive, Hawky, I’m not an idiot.” Juleka felt Madusa’s gaze leave her, the prickling at the back of her neck fading as those empty eyes drifted off somewhere else in her irritation.

Juleka forced herself to let her lungs relax, breathing out and out and out. Then she breathed in, letting the fresh, life-giving air chase away the spots dancing in her vision.

Rose was still there, still staring, but Juleka forced herself to look away, forced herself to move on to other faces. She only had one shot. She couldn’t afford to use it on Rose.

Juleka had to hold in a sigh of relief when she finally spotted Marinette’s face. It was actually the stance that drew her eyes first. Marinette was mostly turned away from the center of the circle, unlike most of the other figures who were all turned towards Madusa. Marinette was looking over her shoulder as she turned to run, her face set in that telltale determination. Holding her hand was Adrien, a little further from the center, also turned to look over his shoulder.

 _Finally_ , Juleka thought.

Always aware of Madusa just a few feet away, Juleka began the slow journey over to them, every second feeling like eternity. _Tick tock, tick tock_ , a little voice in Juleka’s head whispered, even as another screamed at her to move more slowly, more slowly.

Madusa argued with Hawkmoth and Juleka focused on getting to Marinette and Adrien.

_Tick tock._

Eventually, somehow, Juleka managed to get to them without misstep or mistake. But now that Juleka was here, she found herself faced with a decision that she hadn’t anticipated.

Adrien and Marinette were holding hands.

Master Fu had told her that she had one touch, but she didn’t know if she could use it on two people. It would be better if she could get them both, easier. But if she was wrong, if the touch didn’t work on both of them…

If Juleka messed this up, all would be lost. If she did this wrong, there would not be another chance, no saving grace, no Guardian to swoop in and make it right.

Juleka considered their hands, considered her choices, considered the risks.

Madusa yelped in pain and Juleka had to restrain herself from whipping around at the sound.

“Fine,” Madusa gritted out behind her. “I’ll go wreak some havoc until they show up. Happy?”

Juleka made up her mind.

It was now or never.

“Restoration,” she whispered, feeling the click inside her as the camouflage dropped, as pale golden light danced to life in her palm. She was aware of Madusa moving behind her, but she focused on aiming her touch just right, flattening her palm over Adrien and Marinette’s joined hands.

They both slammed into life and color all at once, jolting into motion and sound, the end of whatever they’d been shouted tumbling out of their mouths, covered only by the shout that Juleka let out to cover their voices and hopefully preserve their identities.

Adrien and Marinette both stopped in their tracks, looking around in confusion at the sea of stone people surrounding them.

“Don’t just stand there, go!” Juleka hissed, already turning to face Madusa, raising her shield in front of her. She didn’t have time to check and see if Adrien and Marinette were listening to her.

Madusa was glaring at her, her face contorted in rage, her snakes snapping and spitting.

Juleka’s timer had started. She had five minutes to get out before she de-transformed. Hopefully Adrien or Marinette could get back before then and take over, but if not…

“Thought you could sneak up on me?” Madusa demanded, the hissing that Juleka had almost managed to tone out growing louder as the snakes began to writhe more violently. “I never thought I’d see someone _boulder_ than Ladybug and Chat Noir, but I guess nothing is ever _set in stone_.”

 _Seriously?_ Juleka thought, peering over the edge of her shield incredulously. Apparently, Madusa was very serious, because Juleka immediately had to duck back down to shield herself from the beam of white light that shot from Madusa’s eyes.

The beam slammed into Juleka’s shield, hot and heavy. She stumbled back, but otherwise withstood the attack unharmed. She dodged behind another statue, watching over its shoulder as Madusa fumed. Her heartbeat was loud in her ears.

“Slippery one, aren’t you?” Madusa asked, moving to the side, forcing Juleka to edge around the statue, keeping it between them. As she watched, the purple butterfly glowed in front of Madusa’s face again, making her pause. Juleka took the reprieve and backed behind a new, more secure statue. The butterfly faded and Madusa’s head moved, scanning for Juleka. Juleka knew she had found her through the narrowing of her eyes. Then another beam burst out of them. Juleka reflexively raised her shield a little higher, but there was no need. The statue took the brunt of the blow. When it stopped, both Juleka and the statue were left untouched.

“Hold still,” Madusa commanded, darting to the side and narrowing her eyes again. Juleka was prepared for the beam when it came, holding her shield steady as she moved to another statue.

“No,” Juleka said.

“No?” Madusa asked, blinking in surprise at the response. She even stopped trying to edge Juleka into a vulnerable position for a second.

“No,” Juleka confirmed, taking advantage of the pause to move into a denser cluster of statues.

“No witty comeback?” Madusa asked, sounding confused, watching her as she moved, snakes hissing.

“Nah,” Juleka called.

“You hero types normally engage in a back and forth type dialogue,” Madusa said, her raised eyebrows obvious even behind her mask.

“I’d rather just beat you and go home,” Juleka said offhandedly, safe behind her cluster of protection. As soon as she said it, she felt the truth of it in her bones. She was tired. She’d been running on adrenaline for most of the day; she’d spent almost an hour infiltrating the Louvre, moving so slowly that her muscles were shaky and fatigued; she’d been through a lot of emotions and now she had done what she had come here to do. She was just holding on until the experts arrived on the scene.

Juleka’s bracelet beeped in the awkward, confused silence that followed her remark. Four minutes remaining.

_Where were Ladybug and Chat Noir?_

“If you think you’re going to beat me by hiding behind statues,” Madusa said at last, starting to move forward again, her eyes narrowing. “You are going to find it a little _hard_ er than you anticipated.”

“We get it. You make statues,” Juleka muttered, ducking behind her makeshift barrier as another beam soared her way.

“I grow tired of this,” Madusa announced, glaring at the statues that stood between her and the interloper.

 _Me too_ , Juleka thought, peering cautiously out from behind the statues, unease trickling down her spine. She watched as Madusa moved out of the sea of statues, back into the clearing in the center. She ignored Manon and the man next to her, instead turning to face Juleka, her lips curling into a smug smile.

Her wings unfolded without warning, spreading wide behind her, glinting with green undertones in the light filtering through the skylight. More time must have passed than Juleka had thought, because the burning colors of sunset set Madusa ablaze, her fury half lit with warm light and half cast in harsh shadow, her snakes glinting in the sun. She was magnificent. And she was pissed.

Juleka watched in alarm as Madusa’s wings drew back and beat the air, carrying her upwards. If Madusa became airborne in this room, she would be infinitely harder to combat. But what could Juleka do? Her shield wasn’t capable of long range battle and she couldn’t break cover without making herself vulnerable. She was built for _defense_ , not offense, she couldn’t-

A flash of red zipped out of nowhere and smashed into Madusa’s right wing, forcing it to snap shut and sending Madusa tumbling to the ground in an undignified heap.

“Hey, Madusa,” a cocky, wonderful voice called. Juleka looked over to see Ladybug and Chat Noir standing at the top of the stairs to the left. Ladybug pulled her yoyo back into her hand, smiling smugly as she leaned an elbow on Chat’s shoulder. “I know we got off to a _rock_ y start,” Chat continued with a wide grin, “but there’s no need to throw a _hiss_ y fit. I think we could be friends. What do you say?”

“I say that you have something I want,” Madusa growled as she heaved herself to her feet, her hit wing hanging awkwardly, her snakes whipping around her ears. Juleka recognized the narrowing of her eyes and tensed, carefully shifting towards them.

“Wrong answer,” Ladybug said cheerfully.

The beam exploded out of Madusa’s eyes the next moment. Ladybug and Chat Noir threw themselves out of the way even as Juleka jumped in front of them, taking the blow on her shield. Chat rolled to his feet and leapt at Madusa, his staff swinging.

“You okay?” Ladybug asked, running over to Juleka with a concerned look on her face.

“I’m fine,” Juleka said, holding up her hands to show that she wasn’t stone. “The shield took the blow. I don’t have much time left though.” As if to prove the point, Juleka’s bracelet beeped again. Three minutes remaining.

“Better get to work then,” Ladybug said, her face setting in determination.

“The akuma is in her necklace,” Juleka said, pointing at Madusa’s neck. Ladybug followed her finger, nodding as her eyes caught on the dark jewelry.

“We’ll never be able to get close enough if she can still turn us to stone,” Ladybug mused, her face thoughtful. She blinked as Chat narrowly dodged a beam. She turned to Juleka and said, “You go help Chat. I’ll figure out how to get the necklace.”

Juleka nodded shortly and ran back into the fray, ignoring the protestations of her muscles, just in time to block a beam that would have taken Chat out. Madusa snarled when she saw Juleka crouched behind her shield. Chat leapt over Juleka, vaulting off her shoulder and over the shield to strike at Madusa and force her on the defensive.

They fought effortlessly together, Juleka blocking and Chat attacking, keeping Madusa off balance and on the ground.

Juleka’s bracelet beeped again all too soon. Two minutes remaining. Juleka ignored it, focusing on maneuvering around Chat’s flank to protect him while he struck at Madusa. She hoped in the back of her mind that Ladybug was working on a solution. Madusa was getting madder and madder, fury adding energy to her movements even as Juleka slowed.

Juleka saw the slip coming before it happened. She saw Madusa’s eyes narrow, saw Chat start forward just a little too late, saw that she would not be able to get there in time. She lunged anyways, hoping against hope that she would be able to save him…

Just before the beam burst from Madusa’s eyes, a red and black headband snapped over them, squishing squirming snakes to her head. Juleka completed her lunge a half second after Chat _would_ have been stoned and looked up to see Ladybug yank the necklace off of Madusa’s neck.

Juleka almost couldn’t believe it when the akuma fluttered out of the crushed necklace, delicate and harmless looking.

"No more evildoing for you, little akuma," Ladybug said, almost kind as she slid open her yoyo and began to swing it. “Time to de-evilize!” She threw it after the retreating butterfly, snatching it out of the air and reeling it in. “Gotcha.” Then she opened the yoyo again to release the purified insect, white and lovely and innocent.

“Bye, bye, little butterfly,” Ladybug said, waggling her fingers after it as it floated off. Juleka watched it go from the floor, noting the way it flew in a straight line, phasing through the wall rather than finding an exit. Something tugged at the edges of Juleka’s mind, but she shrugged it off. She didn’t have the brain power to deal with that now. She turned back to Ladybug in time to see her pluck the headband off of a struggling Madusa.

“Miraculous Ladybug!” Ladybug cried, tossing the headband in the air and releasing an explosion of ladybugs that swept through the room, giving life to the sea of statues that surrounded them. The room was plunged into sound and movement, abruptly returning to the Louvre that Juleka knew. Juleka sat up, heaving herself to her feet and looking around, unwilling to let go of her residual anxiety until she saw-

_Rose._

She was standing a few feet away, looking around in confusion and just a little bit of awe for Ladybug and Chat Noir. Rose was safe.

It was over.

Relief flooded into Juleka’s chest, warm and healing and wonderful. She was still exhausted, but all of her people were okay. Rose was okay.

Then Rose looked over at Juleka and her eyes widened. For a moment, Juleka felt the urge to stride over to her, to pull her into her arms and hold her there for as long as she could. But then she remembered.

Rose didn’t know who she was.

She was wearing a mask. She was merely a new superhero. Exciting perhaps, but not entitled to go up and gather Rose in her arms the way she desperately wanted to. Suddenly, all Juleka wanted was to de-transform and go to Master Fu’s and drink tea and maybe snuggle with Rose for a couple eternities. But she was trapped in a pair of wide eyes and a shy smile that didn’t know her and-

Juleka felt a soft touch on her arm and looked over into two pairs of hesitant eyes. Chat stood behind Ladybug, both of them watching her uncertainly.

“Pound it?” Ladybug asked, holding out a fist as Chat did the same. Juleka looked down at the fists. Then she looked up at her friends. Her Super dorks.

“Pound it,” Juleka agreed, granting them both fist bumps and grinning tiredly when they both beamed at her.

“Your time is up,” Ladybug said suddenly, her eyes widening in alarm as she pointed at Juleka’s bracelet. Juleka looked down at it in surprise, noting that the last hexagon on the shell was indeed flickering.

“Come on,” Chat said with a smile. He took out his staff and vaulted over the crowd with a whoop. Ladybug rolled her eyes at Juleka, but she took off after him, moving a little more slowly since she didn’t have much to swing off of in the large room. Juleka paused for a moment longer, glancing back at the _Winged Victory_ , lit by the fires of a setting sun, celebrating some ancient triumph. She smiled at it. Then she pushed the button on her shield and flew off after Ladybug and Chat Noir.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How about that double date...
> 
> [Here](http://www.el-granada.com/france2007/parislouvrewingedvictorystairs.jpg) is the reference that I used for the room at the Louvre and [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_Victory_of_Samothrace) is the wikipedia page for _Winged Victory of Samothrace_ so that you can appreciate my heavy handed symbolism and a pretty statue.
> 
> [Here](http://secretlyalya.tumblr.com/post/157157763039/i-got-this-amazing-commission-from) is the wonderful art that I commissioned from @[thebirdfromthemoon-art](http://thebirdfromthemoon-art.tumblr.com/) of Turtle!Juleka.
> 
> [Here](http://artgraveyard.tumblr.com/post/157277266844/juleka-finally-accepted-the-guardianship-in) is some super amazing fanart of Turtle!Juleka by @[artgraveyard](http://artgraveyard.tumblr.com/).
> 
> I'm sorry I didn't give you guys your double date and your reveal...but I'm not sorry enough...
> 
>  
> 
> Next: what's an epic without an epilogue?


	31. Something New

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juleka goes on a date.

_Hey there, Ladybloggers! It’s a wonderful day in Paris for some conjecture, as always, but today, I’m bringing you something a little different. Hold onto your hats, my friends._

_If you’re anything like me, you’ve been anxiously awaiting news of the mysterious figure that fought alongside Ladybug and Chat Noir. For those of you who missed my thrilling report on Madusa (go read it; I promise it’s worth it), or somehow live under a rock and missed_ all _of the other coverage, here’s the lay down: Paris seemingly has a new hero and we have absolutely no information about her._

_Who is this new figure on the scene? Where did she come from? How will she change the fight against Hawkmoth? And most important of all…_

_What’s her name?_

_The internet has been buzzing with theories about this mysterious figure. Some have claimed to see her flying over the city alongside Ladybug and Chat Noir. Some think that we will never see her again; that she was a one time occurrence and that things are back to normal now. Some people have even said that the hero was an akuma or agent of Hawkmoth, just like Volpina._

_I have been as active in the conjecture as every other person with access to internet in Paris, but since the elusive hero hasn’t been spotted in any akuma attacks since Madusa, and since I haven’t been able to corner Ladybug or Chat Noir, I haven’t been able to offer more than the usual theories about what’s going on with this new player._

_Until now._

_When I opened up my email today, I wasn’t expecting much. Maybe some exciting spam messages offering to cure my baldness. Perhaps a link from my bestie or some articles about Ladybug. When I clicked on the email, sent from a nondescript address, I certainly wasn’t expecting a message from Ladybug and Chat Noir themselves._

_I know what you’re thinking. It still sounds like clickbait. I might as well have gotten an email from the president. But I promise you, this is the real deal. And I can prove it. Because their email (the best email of my_ life _) contained a video. A video that I now share with you._

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“Hello, Paris,” Ladybug says as the video starts, one hand raising in a wave. She and Chat Noir are standing in front of an undistinguishable white wall, grinning at the camera. “Ladybug and Chat Noir here.”

“We’ve been hearing a lot of questions lately about the events that transpired during the Madusa attack,” Chat Noir says. He pauses to wiggle his eyebrows at the camera. “Especially about a certain someone who aided us in the fight.”

“To alleviate any worries and all of the curiosity,” Ladybug says, her grin widening, amusement dancing in her eyes, “we’d like to introduce you to the newest member of our team. Meet Tortue.”

Ladybug and Chat move to the left (perhaps standing a little closer together than is necessary?) to make room for Tortue, the mysterious, elusive hero, as she steps into frame on Ladybug’s other side. They both beam at her as she waves (just a tad awkwardly) to the camera.

“Hello, everyone,” Tortue says, her voice quiet and low, a little hard to make out. Her head is bowed slightly so that her bangs, tinged green, slip in front of her face and obscure her eyes. She seems almost bashful, very different from the heroes Paris is used to.

“Tortue is one of us,” Ladybug says firmly, looking away from her new partner to stare into the camera, her gaze almost fierce. “She is here to help us keep Paris safe and to aid in the fight against Hawkmoth.”

“She deserves the same assistance and respect as we do,” Chat says, also staring into the camera like he is ready and willing to fight anyone who says otherwise.

“Thank you for your support,” Tortue says pointedly, her head coming up and her voice getting clearer as she glances over at Ladybug and Chat Noir. They look away from the camera and smile at her, looking almost sheepish. Tortue turns back towards the camera, but her chin stays lifted. It’s easier to see her as a hero now, easier to see her defending their city from harm. “I look forward to fighting for Paris.”

“Bye, everyone,” Ladybug says. “Ladybug-”

“Chat Noir-”

“And Tortue-”

“-out,” they all finish in unison, briefly looking extremely proud of themselves before the video ends.

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_So, there you have it folks! Straight from the hero’s mouth. Tortue is here to help. I know that I’m already impressed with our newest hero just from her job on Madusa (not that we have a whole lot of information about that, but still). I think we’ll see some amazing things from her in the future._

_Tell me in the comments what you hope to see._

_Alya out._

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“So,” Alya said impatiently as Marinette, Adrien, and Juleka neared the bottom of the article. “What do you think?”

“Looks good,” Adrien said, glancing up from the computer screen to give Alya a smile.

“You did a great job, Alya,” Marinette said with a grin, standing up to sling an arm around Alya’s shoulders. “The video looks great and the article sounds like you really have no idea what’s up with Tortue.”

“Yeah,” Juleka said, granting her a small smile.

“Thanks guys,” Alya said, some of the tension leaking out of her shoulders.

“I told you they’d like it,” Nino said from his spot lounging on the chaise.

“Yeah, yeah,” Alya said, rolling her eyes at him. Her face was fond as she pretended to scowl at him. Marinette slid her arm from Alya’s shoulders, nudging her towards the chaise. Alya rolled her eyes again, but dutifully went and shoved at Nino until he moved aside enough for her to plop down next to him.

“I still can’t believe that people were saying Jules was an akuma,” Nino said, grumbling a little as he settled an arm around Alya.

“I’m not surprised,” Juleka said with a shrug, sitting down in the chair that Marinette had abandoned. She saw Adrien open his mouth and hastily continued. “It took Ladybug and Chat Noir a record amount of time to show up and then people only saw a random green girl slip into the Louvre without a word. All of the eye witnesses to any good will between us were pretty confused.”

“ _I’m_ surprised that nobody has suggested that Ladybug and Chat Noir got stoned,” Marinette said, leaning against the desk next to Adrien, her arm pressed into his.

“There _were_ a handful of suggestions about that actually,” Alya said. Marinette and Adrien both looked up at her in alarm, but she just shrugged, unconcerned. “Lots of people, including me, pointed out that if they’d been stoned, they wouldn’t have shown up in costume at the end of the fight. Nobody saw Tortue restore you guys, but everybody saw Ladybug and Chat Noir standing with you after the akuma was defeated, whether they registered that you guys were friendly with one another or not.”

“Oh,” Adrien said, relaxing back against desk. Marinette, however, stayed on alert.

“What if someone looks at the security tapes and sees Jules heal us?” Marinette asked worriedly.

“You’re forgetting the glamour,” Juleka pointed out, spinning lazily in the desk chair. “If anyone even thinks to look at the tapes, it won’t register to them that the two kids restored by Tortue were Ladybug and Chat Noir.”

“Okay,” Marinette said slowly, not completely convinced. Adrien took Marinette’s hand, trying to soothe her, but she stayed on edge.

“Juleka’s right,” Alya said firmly. “Besides, nobody can look at the tapes.”

“They can’t?” Marinette asked.

“With the Louvre evacuated, nobody was around to fix the feeds when a glitch occurred and they stopped recording,” Alya said casually, her gaze fixed on her phone as she tapped away at something. Marinette, Adrien, Juleka, and Nino all exchanged a look.

“A glitch,” Juleka said, an eyebrow rising.

“Yup,” Alya said, poker face in full effect. She glanced up from her phone, apparently unaware of the skeptical looks coming at her from all sides. “I’m going to post the article if there aren’t any changes?”

“Go for it,” Marinette sighed, relaxing back against the desk and shaking her head.

“Sweet,” Alya said, smiling to herself as she returned to tapping at her phone. Then, she turned it off and put it in her pocket.

“Did you just turn your phone off?” Nino asked, feigning shock. Alya elbowed him, trying to suppress the smile tugging at her lips.

“It’s better to wait out the initial explosion,” Alya explained, glaring half-heartedly at him.

“You think people are going to freak out?" Adrien asked.

“People are going to go _nuts_ ,” Alya said, one arm waving wildly. She grinned excitedly, sitting up a little straighter. “It always happens when I get a video of Ladybug...” Alya paused, her eyes flicking to Marinette uncertainly. She shook it off, returning to her excitement. “But this time, there’s a new superhero; it’s a big deal. I’ll probably be wading through comments for ages.”

“You’re good with this, right?” Marinette asked, her voice concerned. Juleka waited for Alya to answer the question, but Alya just looked at Juleka. She blinked, looking over at Marinette to find her _also_ looking back at her, waiting for an answer.

“Me?” Juleka asked, confused.

“Yeah,” Adrien said, like it was obvious.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Juleka asked with a raise of her eyebrow. “It’s a good article.”

“Not what she meant, Jules,” Alya said sardonically. Juleka blinked at her.

“You didn’t want the Miraculous,” Marinette said softly.

 _Oh_ , Juleka thought.

“You were kind of forced into taking it,” Marinette continued, watching Juleka carefully.

“It would make sense if you were upset now,” Adrien said, his face mirroring Marinette’s, all concern and kindness.

“I’m fine, guys,” Juleka said firmly. No one looked like they believed her. She sighed, sitting up and pressing her fingers to the jade on her wrist as was becoming her habit. “Yes, I was backed into a corner with Madusa and taking the Miraculous, but it was still my decision. I don’t regret it. I...” Juleka paused, remembering how she’d felt putting the Miraculous on, feeling it now.

She wondered if it was something she could share, if they would understand.

“I think it was supposed to be this way,” Juleka said slowly, peeking through her bangs at her friends. They all looked confused, exchanging glances with one another.

“What do you mean?” Marinette asked after a long, silent moment.

“It’s hard to explain,” Juleka said, turning the bracelet on her wrist, trying to find the right words. “Now that I have the Miraculous, it’s like...I can feel the way things are supposed to be. How things are supposed to fit into place. This feels like my place…” Juleka trailed off, looking up to find all of them staring at her. She ducked her head, her cheeks heating and her chest tightening.

“Dude,” Nino said slowly, a strange note in his voice. “That’s _awesome_.” Juleka’s head flew back up. Nino was grinning at her with awe and then Alya was grinning too, and Adrien and Marinette. They didn’t look weirded out at all.

“It’s not a big deal,” Juleka muttered, ducking behind her bangs in a different kind of embarrassment now.

“Yeah, right,” Marinette snorted. “That sounds amazing, Jules.”

“Whatever, guys,” Juleka said, her face warming further. She heard some chuckles, but ignored them, pulling out her phone to check the time. She sighed and heaved herself out of the chair. “I have to go. Master Fu wanted to get in a training session today before I go pick up Rose.”

“Oh,” Adrien said, his encouraging smile fading into something more tentative. “Are you…” Juleka didn’t need him to finish the question to know what he meant. She nodded, anticipation squeezing at her chest.

“Good luck,” Marinette said softly, letting go of Adrien’s hand to step over to Juleka and pat her shoulder.

“Yeah, you got this,” Nino said brightly.

“It’ll work out, girl,” Alya said, a knowing smile on her face. She glanced over at Marinette, her face going sad as it sometimes did these days when she looked at her best friend. She looked back at Juleka, her knowing smile dampened slightly, but still there. “If anyone can do it, you can.”

“Let us know if you want any help,” Adrien said, moving to stand on Juleka’s other side, his hand resting comfortingly on her shoulder. “We’ll be there in a moment.”

“Trying to ditch _our_ date, chaton?” Marinette asked, her smile teasing, but gentle. Loving.

“Never,” Adrien said, smiling dopily back at her.

Juleka looked past the two of them and made eye contact with Nino and Alya. They all rolled their eyes.

“Eeeeeeew,” Nino and Alya groaned in unison, while Juleka stuck to the eye-rolling.

“Like you two have never been gross,” Adrien shot at them, reluctantly taking his eyes off Marinette.

“Oh, we have,” Alya said, shaking her head at her friends. “But we didn’t subject any of you to our gross honeymoon period.” When she smiled, it was teasing rather than guilty or uncomfortable like it would have been just weeks before.

“Beg to differ,” Marinette said with an exasperated shake of her head.

“Yeah, we had to deal with your honeymoon period while pretending we didn’t notice it,” Adrien said, removing his hand from Juleka’s shoulder to plant his hands on his hips.

“Hey,” Nino said indignantly. He drew breath to retort.

“I’m gonna go,” Juleka said quickly, before Nino could launch whatever remark he’d been preparing. He deflated, but sent an apologetic glance at Juleka. She shrugged it off with a small smile.

“Wayzz?” Juleka called, moving forward and looking up at the loft. A little green figure popped up above it.

“Are we going?” Wayzz asked. Juleka nodded and Wayzz flew over the side, followed by Tikki and Plagg.

“Bye, Wayzz,” Tikki said, nuzzling into Wayzz’s side shortly.

“Good bye, Tikki,” Wayzz replied warmly. Then he opened his arms to Plagg.

“Later, I guess,” Plagg said, lazily drifting into Wayzz and hugging him just a little longer than Tikki had. Then he drifted away, draping himself across her.

“Good luck, Jules,” Tikki said, smiling warmly up at Juleka.

“Later everyone,” Juleka said. She held open one of her pockets, cleverly widened by Marinette, so that Wayzz could dart inside and settle in. She waved over her shoulder in acknowledgement of the chorus of goodbyes and descended through the trapdoor with the sound of playful voices sending her off.

Downstairs, Mr. Dupain and Mrs. Cheng were curled together on the couch. The TV was on, but they didn’t seem to be watching, laughing to each other over whatever they were talking about.

“Juleka,” Mr. Dupain said jovially when he noticed her coming down the stairs. “Looking for a snack?”

“Actually, I have to go,” Juleka said, glancing over at the cookie jar sadly.

“So soon?” Mrs. Cheng asked in surprise, sitting up straight on the couch.

“I mostly just stopped by to finish a project with everyone,” Juleka said apologetically. She was well versed in half-truths by now. “I have to go see Rose, so I can’t stay.”

“Going to see Rose, huh?” Mrs. Cheng asked innocently. She nudged Mr. Dupain and tilted her head towards the kitchen. He levered himself up off the couch, moving towards the kitchen while Mrs. Cheng returned her attention to Juleka. “You should really bring her over some time. We’d love to meet her.”

“Hopefully I can bring her soon,” Juleka said, completely truthful now.

“Careful,” Mr. Dupain said, returning from the kitchen with a bag of cookies. He pressed them into Juleka’s hands with a wink. “We’ll hold you to that.”

“How do you think we got Marinette to admit to Adrien being her boyfriend?” Mrs. Cheng asked, standing up from the couch and joining her husband in front of Juleka.

“I think I can handle it,” Juleka said, unable to resist the smile spreading across her face.

“You go and share those with your girlfriend,” Sabine said fondly, pulling Juleka in for a hug. She stepped back and Mr. Dupain bent down for one. Juleka leaned into both of them, still reveling in the warmth after all this time. “We’ll see you later.”

“Bye, Mrs. Cheng. Bye, Mr. Dupain,” Juleka said, waving to them as she backed towards the door. They waved back at her, Mr. Dupain wrapping an arm around Mrs. Cheng’s shoulders. The love in their eyes as they looked at each other was familiar, something Juleka had seen looking at Adrien and Marinette, something Juleka saw shining out of Rose’s face every day.

Juleka left the Dupain-Cheng bakery with warmth pooling in her stomach, clutching her coat around her to keep it inside.

It was a warm day for spring in Paris, but it was still a little chilly outside. Juleka had always loved spring, almost as much she loved fall. Flowers blooming, birds flying, things changing.

Juleka thought of the Dupain-Chengs as she walked down the street towards the nearest metro station, of Marinette and Adrien, Alya and Nino, Tikki and Plagg. All of the people she loved. All of the people she could no longer imagine her life without.

“Hey, Wayzz?” Juleka asked quietly, looking around to make sure no one was watching. Wayzz poked his head out of Juleka’s pocket, smiling at her warmly.

“Yes, Juleka?” Wayzz asked, his hands resting on the lip of pocket as he craned his head up at her.

“Do you miss them?” Juleka asked. Wayzz considered her carefully. His smile didn’t falter, but it changed slightly, so subtly that Juleka couldn’t quite tell what it was.

“Sometimes, yes,” Wayzz said softly. “It’s always a treat when I get to see Tikki and Plagg since they’re awake so seldom. But I can feel all of my kwamis when they’re active. I can tell how they’re doing, how they’re feeling. So, it never feels like they’re all that far.”

“And when they aren’t active?” Juleka asked. She felt Wayzz’s sigh against her ribs.

“I have grown to enjoy the company of humans,” Wayzz said.

“I’m sorry,” Juleka said, slowing her steps to focus on Wayzz’s face, the melancholy weighing on the edges of his smile.

“I am sorry too,” Wayzz said, looking back at her. She wondered if they were apologizing for the same thing, to the same person, if it mattered.

“But it is the way it must be,” Wayzz said solemnly. He paused, tilting his head at Juleka, considering her. “You feel it, don’t you?” he asked curiously.

Juleka hesitated, slowing to a complete stop. She closed her eyes and looked inward, reaching for that spot inside her that hadn’t been in place before. She considered it, weighing the feeling it radiated just behind her chest and before her spine.

“Yes,” Juleka said, slitting open her eyes and looking down at Wayzz. “I feel it.”

“Good,” Wayzz said, and his approving grin was only a little bit sad. “Perhaps you’ll be a good Guardian after all.”

“Perhaps?” Juleka snorted. She started walking again, shaking her head at the kwami, her kwami. “Who was it that said I fit the Miraculous better than most? A certain kwami?”

“Sounds like Plagg,” Wayzz said innocently, his voice slightly muffled as he ducked into the pocket to hide from the man Juleka passed as she rounded the corner.

“Plagg? Give a compliment?” Juleka asked, ignoring the man’s weird look. She felt Wayzz shift in her pocket and chuckled. “You’ll have to do better than that, turtle.”

“Tikki,” Wayzz said, peering over the edge of the pocket. “Definitely Tikki.”

“Eh. Try again,” Juleka said.

“Are you harboring any encouraging kwami fugitives?” Wayzz asked helpfully.

“Just you,” Juleka said, tapping Wayzz on the head.

“I guess,” Wayzz sighed. He smiled up at Juleka in a brief, bright flash. “Then I was right. You do fit the Miraculous. Perfectly.” Wayzz ducked into the pocket again and settled in. Juleka shook her head and continued on her way to the metro.

She supposed if she had to spend the next two hundred years with someone, Wayzz was not a terrible person to do it with.

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“Juleka,” Master Fu said warmly as she opened the gate. He was seated at the little iron table, teacup already in hand. “Wayzz.”

“Master,” Wayzz cried, flying out of Juleka’s pocket and nuzzling Master Fu’s cheek.

“Now, Wayzz,” Master Fu said, playing at sternness. “You haven’t been with Juleka for all that long. You’re going to insult her.”

“You two have lived together for almost two centuries,” Juleka said, raising an eyebrow at Master Fu, who grinned back serenely. “I think I can stand you missing each other without getting offended.”

“See?” Wayzz said smugly. “Juleka has sense.”

“And I don’t?” Master Fu asked, pressing a dramatic hand to his chest.

“Sometimes,” Wayzz said with a wide smile. He settled on the rim of his teacup, delicately turning away from Master Fu to sip at his tea.

“How are you, Juleka?” Master Fu asked, sliding her teacup towards her.

“Good,” Juleka said, settling into her chair and taking the teacup. She looked up at the cherry blossom tree, just beginning to flower with early blooms, delicate and tentative. She sipped her tea, rolling the taste of jasmine in her mouth. “Alya uploaded the video introducing Tortue today.”

“I saw,” Master Fu said with an approving nod. “Alya is proving to be a trustworthy ally.”

“Yeah,” Juleka said, shaking her head slowly. “It’s kind of scary sometimes.”

“Scary?” Master Fu asked with a raised eyebrow, his teacup hovering just before his lips.

“I’m pretty sure Alya hacked into the Louvre’s security feed and then deleted the footage,” Juleka said. Wayzz nodded his agreement and Master Fu’s other eyebrow went up.

“Sounds like someone we should be glad to have on our side,” Master Fu said, lifting his teacup the rest of the way to his mouth and taking a sip.

“Yes,” Juleka said, thinking of all the things Alya had done to help since she’d been let in on the secret. The risk was working out so far.

“I’m really glad you took control of your name,” Master Fu said, putting his teacup down. It rattled in its saucer as he set it down a little too roughly, porcelain clacking against porcelain, glass clinking against metal. Master Fu folded his hands in his lap, but Juleka caught the tremor in his hands. “The press was coming up with some truly awful ones.”

“What, you didn’t like Green Girl?” Juleka asked, forcing a smile on her face to match Master Fu’s. When she glanced at Wayzz, she saw him watching Master Fu solemnly.

“No,” Master Fu said firmly.

“What was your name when you were active?” Juleka asked, taking a sip of her tea.

“The last time I was truly active, it was a little easier to stay under the radar,” Master Fu said. “I didn’t have to introduce myself all that often.”

“But surely there was _something_ you were called,” Juleka said. Master Fu sighed, the sound reluctant and long-suffering.

“Tortuga,” Master Fu said shortly. Juleka blinked at him.

“Is that Spanish?” she asked after a moment.

“Yes,” Master Fu said tersely.

“…why?” Juleka asked. He didn’t answer, picking up his teacup and taking a long sip.

“There was a girl,” Wayzz said smugly. Juleka looked down to meet his mischievous eyes.

“A girl?” Juleka asked, raising an eyebrow. She turned the eyebrow on Master Fu, who was suddenly very interested in his teacup. “A _girl_?”

“Josefina may have had a hand in the name choice,” Master Fu said reluctantly.

“He was trying to impress her,” Wayzz said.

“Juleka, you will come to appreciate having someone around to remind you of dumb things you did one hundred and fifty years ago,” Master Fu said, a pained look on his face.

“He spoke exclusively in Spanish while in costume for an entire year,” Wayzz said gleefully.

“I think it’s time we get to your training,” Master Fu said, putting his teacup down and standing up from his chair. He moved slowly, using the table to push himself up. Juleka reached out a hand to help reflexively, but he waved her away. “I’m okay, Juleka.”

“Master Fu,” Juleka said, unsure of what to say, what to do, how to help.

“I’m okay,” Master Fu repeated firmly, finally standing straight. There was still a slight tremor in his hands, but when he clasped Juleka’s shoulder it was strong as always.

“We have time,” he said gently. Juleka looked up at Master Fu’s face, wise and kind and old. Those wrinkles had always been there, but were they deeper? How much time did they have? How long...

“Come, Juleka,” Master Fu said, patting Juleka’s shoulder as he started towards the doors. “I want to get you started on choosing Miraculous holders today.”

Juleka looked at Wayzz, but he simply smiled at her sadly and tilted his head after Master Fu. Juleka sighed. And then she nodded. She couldn’t worry about this now.

She set her teacup down and followed Master Fu inside.

They had time.

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“I do believe we are out of time for today,” Master Fu said, patting Juleka’s shoulder to bring her out of her concentration. She blinked, disoriented as her focus retreated and she became aware of the world again, her legs stiff where they were folded under her, Master Fu’s hand comforting on her shoulder. Juleka carefully unfolded her legs, wincing as they protested the change in position.

“Out of time?” Juleka asked once her mind finally caught up. She reached into her pocket for her phone and sighed when she saw the glowing numbers.

“We will pick this up again tomorrow,” Master Fu said with a smile. “Right now, Rose is waiting.”

 _Rose_.

Juleka swallowed down the apprehension fighting its way up from her chest and put her phone back into her pocket. She stretched her legs slowly before she rose to her feet, still a little unsteady after not moving for so long.

“It will be okay, Juleka,” Master Fu said, eyeing her carefully. Juleka looked up at him, met his considering gaze.

“I know,” Juleka said.

 _I hope_ , Juleka thought.

 _I trust_ , Juleka thought.

“You have not been wrong yet,” Wayzz pointed out, flying up to pat Juleka’s arm supportively.

“I know,” Juleka said.

 _There’s always a first time_ , Juleka thought.

“Good luck, Juleka,” Master Fu said. He grinned then. “Remember, girls love superheroes.” Juleka barked out a surprised laugh and shook her head at him.

“I’ll try to keep that in mind, Master Fu,” Juleka said, moving towards the doors. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” Wayzz darted past her and settled in her pocket as she stepped outside.

“Until tomorrow, Juleka,” Master Fu called after her. “Until tomorrow, Wayzz.”

Juleka wondered, as she stepped outside of the gate, what kind of tea she would be drinking come tomorrow.

What will have changed?

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“Juleka!” Mrs. Lavillant said as she opened the door. She was still a little hesitant as she held her arms out, but she didn’t seem quite as surprised when Juleka accepted the hug as she had before, so Juleka counted it as progress.

“Hello, Mrs. Lavillant,” Juleka said as she stepped inside.

“Give me your coat, dear, I’ll-” Mrs. Lavillant started.

“Juleka!” Lucas cried, interrupting his mother by hurtling out of the kitchen to ram into Juleka’s side. “You’re back!” He wrapped his arms firmly around Juleka’s middle, burying his face into her shirt. Juleka hoped that Wayzz wasn’t too squished in her pocket.

“She is,” Mrs. Lavillant said, lightly swatting Lucas’s arm. “But she won’t survive for long if you don’t let the girl breathe.”

“It’s okay, Mrs. Lavillant,” Juleka promised, though she was glad when Lucas reluctantly let her go.

“Juleka,” Rose said happily. Juleka looked up from one blond to another as she floated out of the kitchen.

“Hey, Rose,” Juleka said, warmth seeping into her chest as she smiled at her. She looked especially adorable today and Juleka wasn’t sure whether to be happy about that or indignant about the unfairness of it all.

“Let me take your coat, Juleka, you must be roasting,” Mrs. Lavillant said, her fingers hovering over Juleka’s coat, but not quite daring to touch without her permission.

“I’m not staying long,” Juleka said, gravitating away from Mrs. Lavillant and towards Rose. Rose smiled up at her as she took her hand.

“Oh,” Mrs. Lavillant said, her voice kind of small and deflated.

“Maman, I told you Juleka and I are going on a date,” Rose said, turning to frown at her mother.

“No, I know,” Mrs. Lavillant said quickly. “I just thought you might stay for a while before you left. It’s not a big deal.” Mrs. Lavillant reinflated her smile and bustled past them towards the kitchen. “You two stay; I’ll finish up that picnic basket real quick.”

“Maman, you don’t have to,” Rose called after her, but Mrs. Lavillant just shushed her and continued on to the kitchen. Rose sighed as she watched her mother bustle away. Juleka swung her hand, pulling her attention back to her and a smile back to her face.

“Hey,” Juleka said.

“Hey,” Rose giggled. She pushed up on her toes for a kiss. Juleka leaned down to grant it.

“Eeeew,” Lucas said, wiggling in between Rose and Juleka before their lips could touch.

“Hey, I told you we would be gross,” Juleka said as sternly as she could manage. Lucas blinked up at her with wide, pitiful eyes. “You signed up for this.” Juleka quickly leaned forward and started pressing kisses all over Rose’s face, her lips, her cheeks, her forehead, her nose. Rose giggled and squirmed away, trapped by Juleka’s arms. Lucas squealed and squirmed away as well, trapped between them.

“Sylvie-” a male voice started, then cut off abruptly. Juleka looked up to see Mr. Lavillant standing in the doorway, his face blank as he took in the sight of both of his children in Juleka’s arms.

“Hello, Mr. Lavillant,” Juleka said. She fought the instinct to let go of Rose, to step away like she’d been caught doing something wrong.

“Hello, Juleka,” Mr. Lavillant said, his voice flat. He turned his eyes to Rose. “You’re…going on the date today.”

“Yes,” Rose said shortly, all mirth drained from her face. Mr. Lavillant examined them for a moment more, silent.

“Have fun,” Mr. Lavillant said with a curt nod. “Where’s your mother?”

“Kitchen,” Rose said. Mr. Lavillant nodded again and passed through the living room, his steps long. He paused before leaving the room, complicated emotions crossing his face as he looked back at them. He bit back whatever he was thinking of saying and left.

Rose sighed again, sagging in Juleka’s hold, her forehead resting against Juleka’s shoulder. Lucas still stood between them, looking from one face to the other, his eyes still wide, and perhaps even more pitiful for the confusion in them.

“Why can’t he just-” Rose started quietly. She cut herself off, shaking her head against Juleka’s shoulder. When she straightened up there was a small smile fixed on her face. She ruffled Lucas’s hair.

“Are we too gross for you yet?” she asked him, her voice almost cheerful enough to be normal.

“Not _yet_ ,” Lucas said, his confusion slowly giving way to apprehension as he eyed Rose suspiciously.

“I think we can fix that,” Rose said, looking up at Juleka with a mischievous grin.

“Here we are,” Mrs. Lavillant said loudly, bustling into the room with a large picnic basket before Rose could do anything too gross. Her lips were set in a thin, displeased line, but she did her best to make it into her typical smile. “Rose did most of the work, but I gave you guys some treats.”

“And I made the cupcakes!” Lucas added excitedly. “Right, Rose?”

“Yup,” Rose said, watching in amusement as Lucas puffed up proudly. “He did a great job.”

“I’m sure I’ll love them,” Juleka said, bending to give Lucas a quick hug.

“Let’s go while there’s still sunlight to keep us from freezing,” Rose said, taking the picnic basket from Mrs. Lavillant and pressing a kiss to her cheek. Juleka got Rose’s coat out of the closet and exchanged it for the basket while she put it on.

“Goodbye, girls,” Mrs. Lavillant said, following them to the door, a wide smile stretched across her face. “Have a great date. Be safe.”

“Bye, Maman,” Rose said cheerfully. They both waved to Mrs. Lavillant and Lucas as they left, closing the door behind them.

They paused outside, Rose adjusting her coat and Juleka sliding the basket onto her arm before it could occur to Rose to protest. They paused, breathing in the spring air, lightly scented by the flowers just now blooming on the porch.

“Shall we?” Juleka asked, holding her hand out to Rose.

“We shall,” Rose said, taking her hand and beaming up at her, the shadow of unhappiness all but gone from her bright face.

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Sometimes, Juleka could feel things shifting.

Wayzz assured her that she would grow used to the sensation, grow to be able to control it and interpret it if she chose, but for now it was just a disconcerting feeling. Things were changing around her, slotting into and out of places. The strings of the universe were vibrating, a strange buzz in her center, just out of reach.

Most of the time, it was faint, just barely there as she moved through the world. Most of the time, she was only confronted with course corrections, minute changes in people’s lives, _her_ life, barely-there vibrations. Some of the time, she couldn’t feel it even if she wanted to.

But now, Juleka could feel it.

She had to struggle to ignore it, this feeling that couldn’t quite decide whether it was doom or elation, a relentless drum inside her core, thrumming in time with the beating of her heart. Now, she was coming to a divergence in her path and maybe she couldn’t quite see where it led, but she could feel the change coming; she could feel the shift.

“Juleka?” Rose asked, leading Juleka out of her head, into the afternoon sunshine, onto a soft, checkered blanket laid out with snacks, spread beneath a wide tree. Rose smiled at her gently, holding out a cup of the sparkling cider her mother had hidden for them.

“Sorry,” Juleka said, reaching out and taking the cup. The liquid was cool as it hit her lips, fizzing on her tongue.

“Where do you go when you disappear?” Rose asked, leaning sideways to bump Juleka’s shoulder.

“Mars,” Juleka answered promptly, setting her cider aside.

“Never Jupiter?” Rose giggled.

“Too far away from you,” Juleka said. Rose gaped at her, a blush seeping into her cheeks. She turned and buried her face in Juleka’s shoulder.

“How do you even _say_ things like that?” Rose asked, her voice somewhat muffled against her skin.

“I love you,” Juleka said, a smile tugging at her lips. Rose’s quiet squeal was also slightly muffled. When she peeked up at Juleka, her face was pinker than her dress.

“I love you too,” Rose said, despite the furious blush in her cheeks. She looked away from Juleka, leaning forward to take a handful of raspberries. When she leaned back, she settled herself more firmly against Juleka’s side, holding one up for her to take before popping one into her mouth.

“Do you remember the last time we went on a picnic?” Juleka asked, looking around the mostly empty park. It was a different park from last time, both for convenience of location and for lack of negative associations.

“Why would I want to?” Rose groaned, throwing a raspberry at Juleka’s face. Juleka caught it on the way down and ate it. “I said that I hated you.”

“Under the influence of an akuma,” Juleka pointed out.

“Still,” Rose said, carefully choosing a raspberry to hand to Juleka.

“I was thrilled to get a date with you, even if it was platonic,” Juleka said, jostling her shoulder so that Rose would look up at her and smile that wonderful smile.

“I had to talk myself into asking you _all day_ ,” Rose giggled. “I almost asked you on a real date, you know.”

“Really?” Juleka asked in surprise.

“Yup,” Rose said, tossing a raspberry into her mouth. “I had this whole plan to ask you out on Valentine’s Day and then I chickened out at the last minute with the whole ‘but she’s straight’ dilemma.”

“And then you proceeded to fangirl over Prince Ali,” Juleka said slyly.

“You were the one who brought that up,” Rose said indignantly. When Juleka shrugged, Rose sat up and pelted her with more raspberries.

“It’s true, it’s true, it was me,” Juleka cried dramatically, holding her hands up in surrender, a grin spreading across her face. Rose gave her an approving nod and grabbed another handful of raspberries before leaning back against her. “Speaking of princes that I definitely brought up, how _is_ Prince Ali?” Juleka asked.

“He’s great,” Rose said happily. “He’s back in Achu now, but he’s still doing his volunteer work with the hospital whenever he can.” She sighed, carefully cradling her handful of raspberries to her chest. “He’s so kind.”

“And he’s cute, and he’s generous?” Juleka asked. Rose glared at her. The look had gotten a lot better recently, actually managing to convey disapproval. However, she still couldn’t hold it very long and it soon relaxed into a slight smile.

“Why were you thinking of the picnic?” Rose asked, popping another raspberry into her mouth. “Other than being on a picnic now, of course.” Juleka looked at her for a long moment, watched her chew the raspberry while she poked over the rest for one suitable for Juleka. She watched her find one and pick it up with delicate fingers that Juleka loved, watched her hold it out.

“It’s mostly just because we’re on a picnic now,” Juleka said, taking the raspberry from Rose and putting in her mouth, savoring the tart flavors on her tongue. “But…”

“But what?” Rose asked, looking up when Juleka didn’t continue, her face open and relaxed and carefree and Juleka could feel the shift coming in her bones.

“The picnic,” Juleka said slowly, searching for words that Rose would be able to understand. “It happened before everything started changing.”

“What do you mean?” Rose asked, her eyes wide as they fixed on Juleka’s face.

“Everything’s so different now than it was last time,” Juleka said, shifting to take Rose’s free hand and tracing the lines of her fingers. “I wasn’t really close to Adrien or Marinette or Nino or Alya. And I didn’t have you…”

So many other things had changed and they were sitting on the tip of her tongue like raspberry seeds, waiting, waiting, waiting.

“You always had me, Juleka,” Rose said gently. She dropped the rest of the raspberries on an abandoned plate, then placed her newly freed hand on Juleka’s cheek. “But now you can kiss me as well.” Rose leaned forward and laid a playful kiss on Juleka’s lips.

“I guess I can,” Juleka said with a soft chuckle. She placed one hand over Rose’s on her cheek, holding the other in her lap.

“You _know_ you can,” Rose said happily, leaning in for another kiss. Juleka granted it happily, searching Rose’s face as she leaned back.

“Are you happy?” Juleka asked.

“Of course,” Rose said brightly. Then she tilted her head, her eyebrows furrowing. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“A lot has changed…”

“Most of it has changed for the better,” Rose said firmly.

Juleka couldn’t disagree with that. After all, those changes had led her here, sitting under a tree with Rose’s hands in hers. After all, she could feel them stirring under her skin the same way she could feel Rose’s thumb brushing across her cheekbone, and Wayzz’s calming weight in her pocket. Neither of which she could have known a year ago. Neither of which she could have dared imagine.

“Juleka, are you okay?” Rose asked, brushing her thumb over Juleka’s skin again, leaving tingles of possibility in its wake.

“I’m wonderful,” Juleka said softly. She tightened her hold on Rose’s hand, pulling it away from her cheek and gathering it in her lap.

“Are you sure?” Rose asked anxiously. Juleka smiled at her, a real smile, big and happy, and maybe there was apprehension trickling down her spine to pool in her stomach and change thrumming just behind her chest and worries tic-tic-ticking in her mind, but there was also a warm hand pressing against her ribcage and a pair of beautiful hands resting in her grasp.

“I’m sure,” Juleka said, feeling the rightness of it slide into its place, the way it was supposed to be.

“Okay,” Rose said slowly, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. “Then what-”

“Rose,” Juleka interrupted. Rose’s eyes widened as if she too could feel it, the shift hurtling towards them, unstoppable, amazing.

“I have something to tell you.”

 

Juleka couldn’t wait to see what it would bring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end.
> 
>  
> 
> Speaking of endings... I'm so sorry. But I'm also kind of not at all sorry. It's confusing.  
> I know a lot of you were looking forward to Rose finding out the truth, learning the Super Secrets, being inducted into the Miracusquad, whatnot. I was looking forward to it too. And then I outlined the end of the fic and it just...didn't feel like it fit. I wanted it to be part of Juleka's story, but I just couldn't come up with an ending that I liked that included the reveal with Rose. I think it's because the moment Juleka tells her, it becomes Rose's story in a way. Don't ask me how. I don't know. My brain does what it wants apparently.
> 
> Speaking of Rose's story and reveals that didn't happen and certain cousins that got forgotten (oops), this is definitely not the end of the story. There will be at least one sequel and there will be one shots. There won't be anything more written solely from Juleka's point of view, but Tortue is far from gone. I'm not done with her yet. Edit: ALSO someone wrote an amazing epilogue with a reveal! Check out Powers of Visibility; the link is below!
> 
> However, I am done with her _for now_. Whatever I write next, it's not going to be in this universe. after 250k words, I need a break.
> 
> Speaking of what I write next, if you have an opinion on one shots you'd like to see in this universe, go take [this poll](https://goo.gl/forms/Q53EdDqYt0Gzx03o1) to weigh in on what I may or may not write about these ridiculous characters.
> 
> Thank you ever so much to the amazing and wonderful person that is MaryEmmaG, who listened to me rant and plan and complain and just about everything else about this fic, who gave me awesome ideas and read the chapters to reassure me that they weren't terrible or suggest changes. You are my favorite person and I love you so much.
> 
> And finally, thank you to all of you crazy people who stuck through this super out of control story and commented or kudosed along the way. This fic was for you and couldn't have been done without you and I cannot thank you enough. I'd love to hear everyone's favorite moments in the comments. And, as always, you can find me on tumblr @[secretlyalya](http://secretlyalya.tumblr.com/). Again, thank you, thank you, thank you.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it. <3
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Next: Rose gets a turn...

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [A Drabble Fight](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9726731) by [CosmoandWanda](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CosmoandWanda/pseuds/CosmoandWanda)
  * [Powers of Visibility](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12869418) by [Raptra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raptra/pseuds/Raptra)




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